The Past Can Set You Free
by Stryder2008
Summary: Dean & Sam are called to investigate deaths in a small town in Idaho, one that Dean had no intention of ever returning to. What they find waiting for them there is unexpected and devastating for Dean. He must sort out his own feelings, and Sam trying to come to terms with what they left behind, they must hunt whatever is killing the townsfolk. Hurt!tortured Dean Worried!Awesome Sam
1. Chapter 1

Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit.

Rating T: For language and injured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story.

This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there.

The Past Can Set You Free

Chapter One

_WTF_

The first time that Dean Winchester had met Catherine Jean Wilkins a.k.a. CJ, had been when his dad had been hunting a particularly vengeful spirit in Malad, Idaho.

It had taken more than six weeks for his father to track the bastard down and then find the bones in an old unmarked cemetery.

Dean and Sam had been enrolled in school for those six weeks, Dean, being 16 at the time, in the local Highschool and Sam, at 12, in Jr. High. Neither of them had liked the amount of snow that was still everywhere in the small town, too cold they both decided once morning when the wind chill had been close to -22 degrees.

Malad was located on the border of Idaho and Utah, and was a small town comprised of mostly farmers and some miners. It had two diners, one stop light, and one large grocery store…and of course a local gun and pawn shop.

Dean had walked into the history class in the middle of a presentation by one miss CJ Wilkins, she had glared at him as he interrupted her report on the Civil War.

Dean had simply sent her his most, at least in his opinion, devastating smile as he slid into an empty seat at the rear of the room. Her blue eyes narrowed and she raised a dark eyebrow at the obvious flirtation, shifting her notes and returning to her report.

Dean had taken a moment to really look at the girl standing in front of the classroom reading occasionally from her stack of note cards.

She had long mahogany hair, that shined when the sun hit it as she flipped it out of her face, her eyes were a deep almost unnatural shade of azure blue…_huh…where the hell did I learn what color 'azure' is? _She was sorta tall, for a girl, and was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a nike sweatshirt. Dean immediately decided that maybe Malad, wouldn't be such a bad place to hang out while dad finished this particular hunt.

Things had rolled along as they always did, except that none of Dean's usual techniques were working with CJ, oh sure she would talk to him but generally it was to tell him what an idiot he was. She was the first girl that Dean had come across that he couldn't find a way around her defenses. He had even gone so far as to ask Sam to find out what he could about the girl.

Sam being a typical pre-teen had teased Dean mercilessly about the fact that he couldn't get _all the girls all the time._ Dean had cuffed him behind the head for the comment, but Sam had thought that it was worth it as he watched his brothers determination and subsequent frustration build over the next couple of weeks.

What he had found out made Dean a little more careful around the girl, she was the only daughter of the local sheriff, his wife had died several years earlier, and she was a spitfire.

CJ had been in trouble with the local law officials, her father had smoothed that over, and she also seemed to be into some sort of martial arts. Dean didn't really know for sure, just that she and her father travelled over to Ogden, Utah twice a week for some sort of training. Sam hadn't been able to find out what it was either, which was a little odd because Sam always figured out everything.

It was in the third week of being in the small town that Dean had finally learned something that might help him make a _connection_ with CJ…she like to shoot.

Their dad had taken them out to some random field for some target practice when they had been surprised to hear the report of a 45 caliber handgun bounce around the canyon.

"Dean, stay with Sam." His dad had stated as he moved quietly toward the noise, leaving the boys by the Impala.

"Dad…" Dean had whispered loudly, only to be shushed by his father as he disappeared around a bend in the road.

"Shit." Dean said. Sam looked over at him with a disapproving scowl on his face, "Dean, dad said you're not supposed to swear."

"Shut up Sam." He said as he scrubbed his hand across his face and listened for his father's return.

"It's true." Sam stated petulantly as he kicked a rock into the road.

"Sam. Stop." Dean said as he heard something moving in the distance.

He pulled Sam into a crouch near the rear of the car and pulled his own Taurus from the back of his jeans, quietly pulling the slide to rear and seating a bullet in the chamber. Sam's eyes widened at Dean's actions, but he remained thankfully quiet as Dean's eyes scanned the horizon.

Suddenly they saw their fathers head appear as he walked back toward the car, but he was not alone, John Winchester was walking next to the sheriff and CJ. Dean's eyebrows pulled together in surprise as he noticed that CJ was carrying her own M9 45 caliber pistol and smiling at something that his father had just said.

Something had changed in that instant, the one where she saw him standing protectively next to his brother, his handgun temporarily forgotten as he watched them walk down the dusty road. CJ had not been numb to Dean Winchester's charms, she just knew the type of guy he was and frankly she had had enough of those types to last a life time.

But seeing him standing just in front of his little brother, in full on 'protect' mode had caused her to rethink he initial impression of him.

That was the exact moment when things had changed; Dean had started hanging out with CJ more and more often. She would even invite Sammy when they went to movies or the arcade…Dean had tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't hear of it and had insisted that Sam get to come too.

Eventually Dean had just accepted that he was going to go do something _fun_ with CJ, then Sam was going to be coming as well. While that hadn't factored into his initial plans with the girl, it had turned out to be pretty cool.

CJ was funny and sarcastic; and she genuinely liked both the Winchester's. To Dean's ever increasing surprise, his dad had even taken here shooting with them a couple of times, while she wasn't quite as skilled as Dean, she was damn close.

John had never told him what he had discussed with the Wilkin's as they had been walking back to the car that day, but it seemed that his dad trusted the man and his daughter…and that was enough for Dean.

The first time that Dean got take CJ out without Sam tagging along was about a week before their father finished the hunt and they left the area in search of the next 'big bad'.

He had taken her to the local movie theater and been delighted when she picked an action flick instead of the usual chick flick garbage that he used to. He had bought them a large popcorn and a soda to share, again please when she didn't ask for diet…he always had to drink diet with Sam. By the end of the movie he had managed to twine his fingers with hers and she leaned over and placed her head on his shoulder. He smiled to himself at the obvious charms he was oozing on this particular night.

His dad had let him take the Impala and as he drove her home he wondered if he should find a place to park somewhere so they could 'talk'. But as he glanced in her direction and noticed the half smile that she threw his way, he thought better of it. There was something about her that he didn't want to taint with that type of memory. Oh it wasn't that he didn't want _rip her clothes off_ after all he was a red blooded American teenage boy, but he found that he actually liked her…respected her even. So his usual antics were put on hold as he pulled up in front of her father's two story home.

"Ya know…I thought that you might try to haul me out to some back road and get in my pants tonight?" she said simply as she turned her blue eyes in his direction.

Dean felt his own face go hot as she saw right through his façade, and he quickly coughed and turned his face away for a moment to cover his surprise.

"Yeah…well…I guess you don't know me as well as you think do you?"

She chuckled at that, "No…I guess I don't."

She reached out and placed his hand gently on his arm, pulling his gaze back around to her smiling face. Dean tried to smile in return but it came out as more of a grimace as he felt a distinct tightening in his jeans, _God she is beautiful._ He thought as she leaned toward him and gently placed her lips against his. Dean sunk into the kiss unlike any other he had ever had, and he had had a lot at this point, but this was different somehow…more pure and genuine that anything he had ever felt before.

And his red blooded American teenage self-did what any teenage boy would do, he promptly panicked.

Dean pulled away from CJ suddenly and slid back to his side of the car, "Hey your dad is blinking the lights, you better head in."

She looked more closely at him and smiled as she recognized his reaction for what it actually was. "Dean…take me to that dark dirt road?"

He swallowed hard as her meaning sunk into his lust crazed brain. "You sure?" He couldn't believe that he was asking, but he needed to know…was this what she really wanted?

She slid across the seat and placed her hand gently on his knee, "Yes."

That was all the convincing his teenage libido needed and put the car in drive and headed off to the canyon road.

They had left one week later, and Dean had never heard from CJ again, although to be fair, it's not like he could leave a forwarding address. She had never faded from his mind though, not like the others had…there had been something there with CJ. His father had later told him that he had told them what their job was, and that her father had helped find and destroy the spirit that was killing people.

Dean had thought about her on and off over the years, he had wondered what could have happened if he hadn't been forced to move on. Lisa was as close to that feeling as he had ever come again after Malad, but she hadn't been his first love, and that was something that couldn't be replaced.

Sam had only asked about CJ once, in all the years since and Dean had promptly cuffed him behind the ears and told him to 'leave it alone'. Sam had had actually listened to Dean on that occasion, and had decided not push when he saw the pain simmering just beneath the surface of Dean's green eyes.

But now, 12 years later they were returning to that sleepy town in Idaho for another hunt, and Dean was scared shitless. He didn't know if she was still alive, or if she would even remember him the way he remembered her. Sam was currently staring out the window at the passing country side, admiring the beauty of the mountains in the spring.

So much had happened over the last decade, he had been to hell, been to purgatory, and he had saved the world from an apocalypse that it didn't even know it was suffering from.

"So tell me about this hunt?" he asked to distract himself from this line of thinking.

Sam pulled his gaze from the window and pulled out the folder with the newspaper clippings and other pertinent information stuffed inside.

"Well…It kinda reminds me of that first hunt we went on in California after I left Stanford…" Sam pulled in a deep breath as he continued. "People disappearing, no sign of the bodies."

"Okay. Anything else poindexter?" Sam's furrowed at the jibe, but he chose to let it go, he knew that Dean was struggling a bit being back in this area. Sam knew about CJ, he also knew the depth of the connection that had been between the sheriff's daughter and his brother. That type of connection was not one that was easily forgotten, Sam knew from personal experience.

"So…the police station?" Dean asked, he was kinda hoping that Sam had a different plan, but he knew that was the best place to start the search.

"Yup." Sam answered simply.

"Okay…police station it is." Dean said as turned left at the light and headed in the direction of the sheriff's station at the end of the block.

When they pulled into a parking spot, Dean was surprised to see that not much had changed in this sleepy little town in the middle of no-where USA. The building was the same off color grey that it had been a decade ago, the paint maybe a little more peeled, but generally the same.

Dean schooled his features as they walked into the station and over to the desk officer. "Agent's Sambora and Toll." They each pulled their _FBI_ credentials from their pockets and showed them to the man behind the desk.

"FBI huh?" He snorted. "What's the FBI doing in Malad?"

Sam spoke up first, "Checking out the disappearances that have been happening the last few weeks."

The cop sighed and put his paperwork on the desk, "You're gonna wanna talk to the chief. She's in the office at the end of that hall." Both men glanced in the direction that he was pointing.

"Thanks." Sam managed as Dean moved off toward the hallway.

He caught up with Dean just as he started to knock on the closed door, "Come in." a distinctly feminine voice called from inside.

Dean twisted the knob and motioned for Sam to step inside first, and then followed. He turned to close the door missing the way Sam suddenly shuddered to a stop, staring slack jawed at the woman behind the desk. When Dean turned he saw the reason for his brothers abrupt halt.

There behind the desk sat one CJ Wilkins. She stood slowly as recognition flooded her face and suddenly a mask slammed into place as she schooled her own features into a blank look of interest and nothing more.

"Dean…Winchester?" She moved around the desk and sat on just the edge as she regarded the two men in front of her. "Which makes you little Sammy?" She smiled slightly, "Not so little anymore are you Sam?" She asked as she held her hand out to shake his.

Sam managed to find his voice first as Dean looked like he had been hit in the head with a rock, "Uh…no…not so little anymore. How are you CJ?"

She nodded and her gaze drifted to Dean's still stunned expression, "Good…I'm good." She raised an eyebrow as Dean finally found his voice, "CJ, what are you doing here?"

"I should think that's pretty obvious as this is my office." Her voice was even and had matured into a warm velvety version of what it been when she was 16. Her eyes however, were still guarded as she regarded this man from her past.

"Investigating the disappearances." He managed around the emotion that he was fighting to control. This was no better than when he had run into Lisa all those years ago…

"Right…I knew that was probably going to get the attention of a hunter, just never thought it would be you two." She drew in a deep breath and turned from them to pull a file from her desk and hand it to Sam. "This everything I have on the case at this point, looks to be a spirit, but honestly…I'm not sure what the hell it is."

Sam opened the file and started reading as CJ moved back to sit behind her desk and sip at the cup of coffee she had abandoned.

Dean took the moment of silence to look around her office in interest, he immediately saw a picture of CJ with two little boys, they looked like twins.

"Kids?" he asked, trying to sound only moderately interested in her answer.

A flash of pain ghosted across her blue eyes before she again schooled her expression into one of quiet calm, "Yeah…two boys. Twins actually."

Dean inhaled sharply, "How old?"

She met his eyes with a steely determination, "12…they're 12 this year."

Dean's face took on a haunted expression as he mentally did the math and then came an unlikely conclusion. He brought his eyes back to meet hers as he silently asked a question that he couldn't vocalize with Sam in the room. All the air suddenly rushed from his lungs as she gave an almost imperceptible nod. Confirming one of his greatest fears, that he had in his stupid youth knocked up some girl and then disappeared into the sunset, like some shit kicking cowboy.

"Sam, I need to step out for a minute." He barely managed, as his stomach rolled with nausea, to grasp the door and shove it open as he looked for the men's room with panic building in waves in his chest.

_No…no…no I didn't do that…not to her._

CJ watched as understanding flared through Dean's confused green eyes and he made a grab for the door as his face drained of all its color.

She sighed internally, she had come to grips with his absence from her son's lives a decade ago, to be fair, she had tried to find him when she knew she was pregnant, but the Winchester's had just disappeared. Her father had never known the identity of the boy's father, she had never told anyone. The only thing that her son's knew was that their father was a good man and that he couldn't be a part of their lives because his job was so dangerous.

Sam was staring at her in confusion, knowing that he had missed something, something important, but unsure of that could have been. His blue-green eyes bored into her own looking for an answer as his eyes fell to the picture of CJ and two young boys, one of which had longer brown hair and the other with a darker blonde shorter cut.

He gasped audibly as he came to the same conclusion that Dean had reached only moments before. His mouth worked, but no words would come out.

CJ smiled at him and again nodded her answer to the unspoken question in his eyes. "Yes Sam, they're his."

Sam felt like he had been punched in the solar plexus, the air wouldn't move like it was supposed through his body, and he leaned against the door jamb for support.

Finally he found his voice, "They're Dean's?" he asked quietly as he managed to step forward and pick up the picture of the two pre-teen boys smiling at something that camera man had said.

CJ nodded, and waited for Sam to say more. "He thought that he hadn't left anything good anywhere in this world…" he muttered.

"Well…he did," She answered simply, taking the picture and placing it back on the desk.

Sam met her eyes again, "He never knew…did he?"

CJ shook her head 'no', "You left remember. I'm not looking to get anything from your brother; I just thought that he would want to know his sons." She said quietly.

Sam nodded and turned to the door, "Yeah…I'm sure he does…I'm gonna go check on him." She waved at the door in the universal gesture of 'go ahead'.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2: Difficult Decisions

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

_**Rating T**__: For language and injured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

Chapter Two

_Difficult Decisions_

Dean was splashing water on his face when Sam finally found him in the men's latrine.

"You okay?" He asked as he leaned against the door.

Dean pulled his hands from his face and turned confused, haunted eyes in Sam's direction. "I…didn't know Sam…I swear to god I didn't know." His voice was barely above a whisper as he closed his eyes in silent acceptance of something that he had never really concerned himself with before.

Dean had gotten over his promiscuous ways once he had gone back to see Lisa after Sam had 'said yes' and jumped into that god forsaken hole at Stull Cemetery three years ago. Part of him had wanted to believe that he could be a father figure and maybe have a shot at some semblance of a normal life. But a small part had always known that Lisa and Ben weren't really his, and no matter how much he wanted that, they never would be.

Sam watched the myriad of emotions flying through his brothers green eyes as Dean tried to accept that he had two sons'…sons that didn't even know who he was.

"Dean, this isn't your fault, dad moved us before she even knew…" Sam couldn't quite bring himself to say that "it" the big it, had happened before they had moved on. He smiled and pushed away from the door frame placing his hand gently on Dean's shoulder.

"Sam…I have…" Dean choked out the next part, "Two sons." His eyes were becoming glossy and scared the longer he looked at his brother.

"Yeah…and I have two nephews."

Dean snorted at that, "Yeah, I guess you do."

"Dean, let's go back and talk with CJ…I think she would let you meet them…if you want." Sam wasn't sure if Dean really wanted to accept that the two boys were his quite that badly yet.

But just like every other uphill battle that Dean Winchester had faced in his years on this earth; he took a deep breath and schooled his expression into one of an emotionless calm. "Yeah, of course I want to meet them."

Sam smiled at that, of course Dean would want to meet his children, the moments that he had thought that Ben might be his has been terrifying for him. But he had later told Sam that he had actually been a little disappointed when he had learned that Ben definitely wasn't his kid.

It had been in that particular moment that Sam had learned one of Dean's biggest darkest secrets; he had wanted a family…someone to carry on the Winchester name when he was gone. Not sons that he could teach to hunt, but sons that could go to college and get away from the shit that they had dealt with growing up with a largely absent father and no mother to speak of.

As fate would have it, and fate was never kind to the Winchesters, Dean had not one son, but two.

Sam nodded and they exited the bathroom and made their way back to CJ's office. Dean entered first and Sam decided to wait in the hall for a moment to give them a bit of privacy.

Dean walked over to her desk and picked up the same picture that Sam had been looking at before. The two boys looked like younger versions of himself and Sam, with a little of CJ thrown in for good measure.

She smiled at him, "Their names are Cameron and Cole…Wilkins, is on their papers, but their birth certificates say Winchester."

Dean nearly dropped the picture as he spun to look her straight in the eyes, "Winchester?" he asked quietly, disbelief coloring his response.

She chuckled, "Yeah…well…I had hoped that someday they might meet their father, and that he would be okay with them having his last name." Her voice faded as her soulful eyes took on a cloudy expression, "I hope that's okay Dean."

His green eyes ran a gambit of emotions but the most prevalent was pleasure; he was actually okay with that…more than okay. Not only did he had son's, but he had son's that were going to carry on the family name…so that no matter what happen him and Sam, the Winchester name would not die with them.

"Yeah CJ, that's okay." He replied as he stared at the picture trying to memorize their faces. Obviously they were fraternal twins, since once was blonde and the other was brunette, "Which ones the oldest?"

She smiled broadly, "Cameron, and he will never let Cole forget that either…he's a lot like you in that respect. He takes great care of his brother."

Dean smiled broadly at that. "Do they know about me…about what I do?" She nodded.

"Yup…I told them when they were about seven; I thought they should know about the things that go 'bump in the night'"

Dean drew in a shaky breath, he knew what that particular piece of knowledge did to a person's innocence and he silently grieved for their loss of that. He had watched Sam grow up too quickly once he had learned the truth.

"They are both excellent shots with a pistol, rifles, and even the shotgun." She smiled and looked at the floor as his gaze swung up to meet hers, "That's mostly because I'm a cop; I wanted them to be safe around fire arms." Dean nodded at that.

CJ continued on as though he hadn't responded at all, "They also train with a martial arts expert over in Ogden…the one I went to when I was younger."

Dean was having a hard time believing what he was hearing, not only had she raised his son's, she had trained them too… "Can I meet them?" The question was barely a whisper as he reached out to take her hand gently.

She inhaled deeply and met his eyes with steel flashing through her blue eyes, "Yes…they've been waiting their whole lives to actually meet you…and Sam."

Dean nearly choked on that, "You told them about Sam too?"

CJ grinned, "Yeah…of course."

Dean found a grin of his own slowly plastering itself on his face at her response.

They turned as a knock sounded on the door and it was gently pushed open by a very concerned pair of blue-green eyes and a mop of brown hair poked inside. "Everything okay?" Sam asked as he stepped inside the office.

He stopped dead in his tracks at the smile on his brother's face and his eyes flitted from Dean's to CJ's and back to Dean's again looking for an explanation.

"Sam, you wanna go meet your nephews?" Dean asked.

Sam's face erupted in an ear splitting grin as his dimples made an appearance, "Yes….yeah I do."

The fact that neither of them had thought that they could have a normal life had never stopped Sam from wanting that. But he had not known that this 'normal life' was something that Dean wanted too until the Djinn incident. When Dean had explained what the dream life had entailed to Sam, he had spared none of the details. Sam knew that Dean wanted that life as much or maybe even a little more than Sam did… Sam had always had Dean. That had given him a sense of 'home', where as Dean had never known that safety…not since he was four years old and had entrusted with his baby brother's life.

His father started training him as a warrior when he was old enough to hold and properly aim a shotgun. Sam had been able to be little more normal as he was not trained until he was over the age of eleven…and that was only after he had goaded his brother into telling him the truth one Christmas…a million years ago…or so it seemed.

"I just need to call my husband and let him know that I am heading home and that he won't need to pick up the boys from school today." CJ threw the curve ball at Dean like a pro, and was helpless to duck as the meaning of her sentence slammed into his chest.

He spun around to face her as he heard Sam suck in a breath and hold it waiting for Dean's response to her revelation.

"Husband…that's great." He stammered. "How long have you been married?"

She smiled slightly, "God…it feels like forever. But honestly, we got married when I was eighteen; the boys were just over one."

Dean shook his head as he tried to absorb that his sons had grown up with a stable father figure in their lives and that he was now about to go ruin that perfect image. He halted as it occurred to him that as much as he wanted these boys in his life, it wasn't really fair of him to drag them into the shithole that was their lives.

Dean pulled his eyes around toward Sam's and looked to see if Sam had come to the same conclusion.

The sympathetic gaze that met his answered his unasked question, and Dean knew that Sam understood what actually acknowledging these boys would do to their life span.

They could be used as a bargaining chip if any of their enemies learned of their existence. Shit, the things Crowley alone would do for that piece of information was just scary as hell.

"Uh…wait CJ." Dean said as he forced down his disappointment and the pain that it was causing him. "I want to meet the boys…I do, but I'm concerned that it could put them in terrible danger. We have a lot of enemies now, and they won't think twice about hurting Cameron and Cole to get to us."

Dean's heart seized as he realized that he may never be in a position where he could meet the twins without putting them in danger.

Sam closed his own eyes as he watched the pain flow in and out for Dean like a wave crashing against a shoreline after a storm.

CJ just stared at Dean, she understood the dangers of their job, she really did. But how could their enemies use the boys against him, if they didn't even know that they existed? It's not like she was about to hand the kids over and allow Dean to raise them into the life of a Hunter for crying out loud. She just wanted their sons to know their father, to have a relationship with the man.

Although Matt was the love of her life, and the boys loved him like a father, she knew and they knew that their real father was out there somewhere and that he didn't even know that they were his sons.

"Okay Dean, we can talk about this later." Her lips pressed together in thin line as she swallowed her disagreement with his idea.

Sam jumped in and baled Dean out, "So these disappearances? When did they start?"

CJ's eyes flickered over to Sam's, "About two months ago." She huffed as she continued. "Honestly, I thought that they would get the attention of a hunter long before now."

Dean finally found his voice, "Yeah, well there's a lot going on in the world right now, and no you don't want to know what it is."

Her eye brows came together as she absorbed this and she cocked her head to the side, "I'm sure I probably don't. But these deaths, aren't random. They are so similar to ones that brought your father here before, if I didn't know for a fact that the ghost had been laid to rest…" She didn't need to finish the sentence.

"So any new information at this point?" Dean asked as he slowly sank into one of the leather chairs next to the door.

"Well, seven people have disappeared so far. There has been no trace of them since and no body." She picked up a manila folder from the corner of the desk and handed it to Sam.

"Okay, anything else?" Sam asked as he opened the folder and started to pick through the contents.

"Ummm, well there's no pattern to the victims. The ages different, the jobs don't match up, old, young, man, woman…you name it and they have somehow disappeared recently."

Dean's eyes were getting more and more intense as he listened to her description of the events, the fact that he now knew that he had two sons living in this small town made him overly sensitive to the fact that there random disappearances happening.

Sam noticed Dean's silence as he listened and did his best to memorize the information, because he knew that Dean had checked out for a moment.

"CJ, mind if we borrow this file Sam asked.

She dismissed the file with the same gesture that had sent Sam to bathroom looking for his brother earlier.

"Thanks, Dean let's go to motel, get checked in and then we decide how we want to handle the hunt…and the boys." Sam suggested as Dean finally pulled himself together and nodded at Sam.

CJ nodded as she walked to the door and pulled it open for them to exit, "Dean just let me know how you want to proceed. I want you in their lives, but I don't want them in danger. So just…let me know."

Dean nodded slowly as he moved robotically for the door, "Yeah…okay, I will CJ." He turned to look at her once more and added as an afterthought. "Thank you for telling me."

She smiled and nodded slightly as they pushed the door shut after exiting the office.

TBC…

Author's note: _So the research for the supernatural will continue, the boys know it's not the ghost from years ago, so what is mimicking those killings and how are the twins involved?_


	3. What it means to be a Winchester

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

_**Rating T**__: For __**language **__and __**injured**__**slightly tortured**__ Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

Chapter Three

_What it means to be a Winchester_

Dean sat in the Impala as Sam went to get them a room, his hand washed over his face as he thought of the two boys. He wanted to be in their lives, but how did he do that without turning them into him and Sam and their messed up childhood. It wasn't fair to them so how could he put his own children through the same worry. At this point the boys knew he was out there, but there was no real emotional tie yet, they didn't know him.

The passenger door creaked open as Sam climbed into the seat, "We're in room 217, back of the motel, top floor. "

Sam waited for Dean's response for about 3 seconds, and then tapped Dean on the shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"

Dean shot his eyes in Sam's direction, "Yeah….sorry Sammy, what room?"

Sam shook his head sadly, "217, top floor, round back."

Dean nodded and cranked the engine on, pulling the gear shift lever into drive and following Sam's directions to back of the motel and the parking located in front of their assigned.

The Impala's engine died as Dean pulled the keys from the ignition and opened his door climbing out into the cold air. The sun was currently setting in the west and the skyline was streaked with oranges and purples as the temperature dropped faster than the sun.

Dean blew out a breath, watching the fog dissipate as he walked to the trunk and opened it so that they could remove their duffels and weapons.

Sam walked around back and pulled his gear out and looked at Dean with concern, "You want me to take the gear in and you go get us some dinner?"

Dean snorted at the irony, it was generally Dean that was starving and his ginormous sasquatch of a brother that was eating trees and branches drenched in creamy goo.

He shook his head and nodded as he handed his duffel to Sam, "Yeah, uh Sam what you want?"

Sam thought for a second and then said, "Surprise me Dean; you know what I generally eat."

Dean pulled in a deep breath and then walked back to the driver seat, pulling the door open and climbing back into the still warm interior of the car.

Sam patted the glass and waved as Dean started the car and headed for the main street.

Dean saw the diner down the block about two miles off to the left of the road, he found a parking spot up close, so he could avoid being in the cold for any longer than he absolutely had to be.

Walking through the door he heard a bell chime as the door clicked shut once he let go of it.

"Need a table honey?" A short slightly overweight elderly woman asked as she approached with a genuine smile plastered on her face.

Dean smiled at the little old woman, and shook his head "No sweetheart, just need to place an order to go."

She nodded and pulled out a pad of paper from her pocket and then reached behind the register and handed him a menu. Dean perused the options and decided to get Sam a chicken sandwich with a side salad and a vitamin water to drink. Dean found that they also had an 'ultimate cheeseburger' that was loaded with onions and a half a pound of meat. The burger also came with a large order of French fries; _well that's a no brainer._ He thought as he told the lady their order and paid before walking to the bathroom. He was disturbed to realize that it was located outside of the restaurant and around the side in the back. The woman handed him a key that was attached to the biggest freakin horseshoe that Dean had ever seen.

"Thanks." He managed around his surprise.

She smiled, "The food will be ready in about 10 minutes."

Dean nodded and headed out the door, pulling the collar closed around his neck as the wind started to whip the snow around.

He followed the signs to the rear and then swore as he touched the freezing cold handle trying to get the key into the hole. The wind was really picking up and Dean wondered if they were going to get snowed on tonight. He actually hated it when it snowed, he always worried that people were gonna drive like idiots and slide into his beautiful car…and then there was the possibility that he may have to beat the shit out them.

Dean never saw the object that connected with the back of his head, but suddenly pain blossomed at the base of his skull and nausea swelled in his belly as his knees collapsed.

The attacker looked at their victim and a slow smile spread across thin chapped lips as Dean Winchester dropped like a sack of potatoes. The body was dragged to the waiting truck and then hoisted into the back, snow accumulating in the blonde hair as the red spread from the wound and settled on the metal of the truck bed.

"Time to play Winchester…" the voice whispered as the tailgate was slammed shut and an old wool blanket was thrown over the body.

XXXX

Sam walked out of the bathroom with a towel slung low on his hips after his shower. He walked to his duffel and riffled through it looking for clean boxer-briefs, a t-shirt, and a pair of running pants. He noticed that Dean's bed was still empty and that it didn't look like his brother had ever come back to the room. Sam's face searched for a clock in the room, finally settling on an old digital one on the night stand next to Dean's bed. 8:42 pm flashed across the screen in red lights, and Sam's eyebrow's came together in confusion. He turned around and grabbed his cell phone off the table where he had tossed it before he crawled into the hot water of the coveted first shower.

No missed calls. "Shit Dean, what the hell." He muttered as he scrolled for the number marked only with a "D", and hit the send button.

The phone rang once and then clicked over to Dean's voicemail, "Damn-it Dean." Sam swore and he went back to his bag and grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a sweatshirt to throw on over his t-shirt, since it now appeared that he would be going out the find out where the hell his brother had gotten off to. Sam hadn't seen a bar in the tiny town, but chances were that if there was one, Dean would have found it.

Sam pulled his clothes and grabbed his boots, sliding his feet into them as he listened to the wind howl outside. Part of him wondered if he should just give Dean some time before he tried to go out and look for the guy. The day had been pretty hectic and if Dean had gone looking for some liquid courage, Sam wasn't sure if he could blame him.

Sam sat on the edge of his bed and decided that he would give Dean a little longer, but if he wasn't back by 10:00 pm, then he was going out. He grabbed the remote and clicked on the ancient TV, the picture was pretty clear by comparison to the TV's that they usually got in these old motels. There was an old episode of Magnum PI on one of the channels, so Sam left it there and moved to the table opening his laptop.

He hadn't even gotten the browser open when his phone rang, he grabbed the phone and blew out an irritated breath when he noticed that Dean's number was being reflected on his screen.

"Dean, about fricken time. Where are you man, I'm starving." He asked, the irritation evident even to his own ears, so he knew that his overly observant big brother would pick on it.

"Yeah, not Dean." A voice said into Sam's ear.

His smile fell as he listened to someone else talking into his brother's phone.

"Where's Dean?" Sam snarled into his mouth piece.

The voice snickered, "Oh Sammy…he's not gonna make it back with your food. You might want to order a pizza."

Sam's veins filled with ice as he listened to non-descript male voice answer for Dean.

"If you hurt him…I swear to god…" Sam couldn't control the anger that was flooding through his system at the thought of someone hurting Dean. They had already been through so much and they were just getting back to being brothers. Sam wasn't willing to give that up, not now…not ever.

"Well…now…" the voice huffed. "I guess we have a problem Sammy, I'm sending you a picture…"

Sam's phone vibrated, indicating that he had received a message. Sam's fingers shook as he pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed the button to put the psycho voice on speaker and then opened the text message, complete with picture.

The picture made bile rise in the back of Sam's throat, Dean was tied to an overhead railing with manacles and chains. He was obviously unconscious since his head was lolling forward onto his naked chest, blood running pretty freely from a wound on the back of his head that Sam couldn't see. Dean was still wearing his jeans, but his boots and socks had also been removed and he was shivering involuntarily from the cold.

"Oh my god…Dean." Sam managed as he looked at his brother hanging 6 inches above the floor.

"Christ…what the hell do you want." He said through clenched teeth.

The voice chuckled again, "Revenge Sammy….just a little revenge." And the line went dead as the picture of Dean faded from the screen.

Sam sank to the floor as his own knees gave out, crap Dean was in trouble again, and once again Sam had nowhere to start the search for his missing brother.

Dean's bloody and bruised face kept flashing through Sam's head and he tried to run through all of their enemies that might venture into this area. Truthfully, he didn't have a clue which one of the literally hundreds of monsters and demons that they had met that could have pulled this off.

Dean was an amazing hunter; those skills had only increased exponentially after his time in Purgatory. So how someone had gotten the drop on him remained a mystery, along with the identity of the mystery man that wanted revenge.

_Fuck Dean…how the hell do we keep getting ourselves into these bloody awful situations._

Sam made a silent promise to his brother that he would find him, and that he would punish the sick son of a bitch that had thought that he could fuck with one Winchester. Ask any demon they had come up against, hell ask Heaven itself what it meant to mess with one of the brothers.

TBC…

Author's Note: _So sorry for the cliff-hanger, but Winchester tales are rarely quick and painless. Dean is being held captive and Sam doesn't have a lot to go on…plus we still don't know how the deaths are happening. Is this what's in store for Dean…promise I'll update soon, please review if interested and if you have some constructive ideas. Thanks._


	4. Pictures and Clues

Contains Hurt!Dean and Angry!Sam

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

_**Rating is a Strong T**__: For __**language **__and __**injured**_**_very_**_**tortured**__ Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

Chapter 4 _(Pictures and Clues)_

The first sensation that Dean Winchester felt was…nothing. His whole body was numb and seemed to be floating…_What the hell! Floating?_

The second sensation was nausea, his felt the vomit scream up his throat and he was helpless to stop it as it continued its rise up and out his mouth. He choked slightly as he tried to clear his throat and mouth of the nasty taste. Unfortunately that was when he noticed that the reason that he couldn't feel his arms was because they were currently attached to something above his head. He groaned as he tried to lift his chin so he head could see what had him trapped this time. And that was when his head exploded in pain, it washed through him in waves, his eyes wouldn't focus as he tried to force them open and get a better idea where he was.

"I wouldn't move too much Dean…it's just gonna hurt more." The voice came from behind him and was laced with sarcasm and rage.

Dean rolled his throbbing head up and tried to look over his left shoulder, but the once again the pain settled in and ruined his plan.

_Concussion._ His mind supplied.

"Oh, don't worry you won't be alone for too long, I'm sure that Sam's beating pavement at this very moment looking for your sorry ass."

At the mention of his brother Dean's vision cleared slightly and red settled in at the edges. "You leave my brother alone, you son of a bitch!" he managed to get out around the next wave of vomit trying to rise up in his stomach.

The voice just chuckled, "Wow…you managed to think that up all on your own?" There was a shift behind and slightly above Dean's head, and then pain exploded in his left should as white hot pain slashed through it followed by and intense burning sensation. Dean bit down on the scream that was building in his chest as the poker sand deeper into the muscled shoulder cauterizing the wound as it went.

"Might wanna steer clear of insulting my mother, Dean…that's what got you here in the first place." The voice snarled as the poker was pulled violently away ripping the flesh further in the process.

"I'ma kill you…you m'fkr." Dean swore around clenched teeth.

"Maybe…but not before I break you, your brother….and maybe even those sweet little twins…"

The mention of the boys brought Dean's head swinging like a pendulum back to reality. _God how does he know?_

"Yeah, I know their yours, doesn't take a genius to put the time line together, _obviously_, because she had to _spell it out for_ you."

The voice laughed, "But then I guess it's really Sam that wears that particular badge in the family isn't it? You're just the grunt, you take your orders and execute without a single thought of the consequences…well Dean this is one of those consequences."

Dean squeezed his eyes shut against the pain that was washing over him as the truth of that statement hit home like a titan missile.

There was the slight inhalation of air as the man breathed in the cold air of the room and then the shifting of boards as he walked around above Deans head.

_Okay, so there's a balcony of some sort. Which is probably what I'm hanging from. _ Dean kept quiet as he tried to take stock of his current situation, he carefully glanced below his suspended feet and noticed that the ground was just dirt, there was no concrete or flooring…_So probably not in a basement._ Pain flared in his head as he tried to look above himself, and Dean decided that maybe he didn't really care what was up there after all. He pulled his blurry gaze back to the ground; there was almost no light wherever he was, so he could only make out the dirt. He shifted his hands and then immediately wished that he hadn't as agony flashed through his abused shoulder and his back felt like someone was trying to pull him in half. Dean had seen this old western when he was young and he remembered the bad guy getting strung between two guys on horses and then pulled apart as they ran in separate directions; _and damn was this how that felt? _Because if it was, Dean had a whole new level of sympathy for the guy.

A shutter ran through him as he thought of Sam finding him like that, pulled apart, beaten and bloody in some fucking hole in the ground in no-where-USA.

_Jesus_…even worse when Sam had to tell CJ and his boys what had happened to him, or _what if they never even found his body?_ Dean used to _know_, on a sub-atomic level, that Sam would never stop searching for him…but after the year he had spent in purgatory and Sam living some apple-pie life instead of searching, had destroyed that one simple truth.

Now Dean just didn't really know if Sam would move heaven and earth to find him.

Dean ran the gambit of emotions as the stairs creaked beside him, he was pulled from his musings as the white hot poker touched the exposed skin on ribs. He hissed in pain and tried to twist away from the white tip.

The voice just laughed, "No checking out on me Winchester, we're nowhere through talked yet."

"Son of a…" Dean stopped that line of thinking; he really didn't think that he could stand another poker intrusion in his shoulders…or anywhere else for that matter. He was starting to shake violently, Dean wasn't sure if it was the cold or if it was from the pain or maybe even from the obvious concussion that he was suffering from. He could still feel the blood running sluggishly down his back between his shoulder blades.

"Okay so my poker is getting a little, think it's time to switch it up…What'cha think there Dean-o." The voice was dripping with malice as the footsteps retreated from Dean's immediate vicinity.

Dean's head shot up at the childhood nickname, _how the hell did this thing know what his father called him when he was young?_

Whatever this….thing wanted, Dean had no intention of giving it to him. He would stay strong and hopefully Sam would come for him.

Suddenly a brilliant light flared into life and agony slashed through Dean's head as he slammed his eyes shut and his head felt as though someone had ripped it open as pain thundered from temple to temple.

"Argggg!" He cried involuntarily as he tried to turn his face from the intense white light. The nausea roiled within him again and Dean momentarily wondered what the hell was left in there to throw up anyways.

"That's a better reaction Dean." The man was back and standing behind the currently blinded brother. "Keep them up and I might consider letting those cute little boys go…"

"What…do…you…want?" he whispered through clenched teeth.

"I already told you Dean, revenge."

"Revenge…for…what exactly." Dean's voice was fading as the pain continued to flash through him.

"I don't think you're ready to know just yet. But if you play nice, I won't kill Cameron and Cole in front of you."

Dean's heart seized at the thought of the boys dying, oh god it was all happening just like he had known that it could…he was going to get the most important people in his life killed, first it had been his father, then Sammy (although he had tried to correct that mistake), and now his sons.

Dean seethed with anger and pushed his pain to back of his mind so he could say this next part without breaking.

"If you touch a hair on those boys heads, I will claw my way out of Hell itself to kill you, painfully, slowly, and permanently." Dean pushed all his rage through his teeth and laced the statement with its truth.

The voice snorted derisively, "Yes, I had heard that about you. Hell, huh? Well I'm not looking to kill you just yet, that would be too easy for a martyr like you." The man's angle changed as he stepped closer to where Dean was still hanging. "But I am going to make you suffer before I bring Sammy into this…and then you can watch him die. We'll see about the boys, they aren't as protected as you think."

Dean heard the air swish as something slashed through it and then impacted his naked back lighting it up with agonizing pain as the end of a whip smashed into it. The ragged metal on the end of the leather tearing swaths of muscle from the once smooth skin as the whip was swung repetitively with increasing strength.

Dean bit through his bottom lip as the pain caught him off guard with its intensity.

_At least you aren't cold anymore._ His extremely unhelpful mind supplied.

Dean's eyes were smashed shut as he concentrated on dealing with the pain, the man wasn't speaking anymore, just laying waste to Dean's body.

As the metal continued to find places on Dean's back that hadn't been touched, Dean felt his grasp on the waking world slipping. Eventually he could do nothing but scream himself hoarse with anguish and pain as the whip continued to fall, settling into a rhythm.

XXXX

Sam struggled back to his feet grabbing his coat and rushing for the door before he realized that Dean had the Impala, he had no way of knowing where the car was at that exact moment.

"Fuck!" he seethed as he yanked the door open and scanned the parking lot looking for something that he could hotwire.

His angry blue-green gaze finally landed on a 1970's ford truck, and he slammed the door behind him in his haste to start the search for Dean.

His phone chimed at him, notifying him of another message, Sam's brow scrunched in concern as he stopped and pulled the device from his inner pocket.

_One new message._

Sam shook his head slightly and flipped the phone open, pressing the but to receive the text message.

"Come on…" he growled as his phone took longer than he wanted it to as it downloaded the file.

Suddenly a dark room flashed up in the video that was playing on the small screen, Sam's breathed caught as he realized that this was another video from the asshole that had Dean.

"Sammy….you should this." The voice said as the room flared to life with brilliant white light.

There in the center of the room was Dean, he was still hanging from the railing, but he was conscious, and by the look raging out of his green eyes he was royally pissed off.

_Okay, thank god at least you're alive._ Sam thought as some relief passed through his chest.

But it was short lived, because almost immediately Sam took in Dean's physical state, he still had blood running from his head, but now he also had what looked to be a severe burn on his left shoulder. Sam knew from experience how much burns hurt, and this one looked pretty freakin bad. Dean's left side was also sporting a nasty burn that ran from just below his suspended arm to just above his hip. The bastard had removed Dean's belt, so his jeans were hanging pretty low on Dean's lean hips.

Sam watched in horror as suddenly Dean's back arched in pain and surprise, and Sam caught the glint of metal as a whip was smashed into his brothers back. Eventually the metal was tinted red with Dean's blood and Sam was actually scared for his brother.

"You bastard!" Sam screeched at his phone, clenching and unclenching his fists in frustrated rage.

Dean's head lolled around on his shoulders, and finally he started to scream and it was a sound that Sam would forever hear in his nightmares. It was the sound of desperation being ripped from the throat of a hero, and there wasn't a god damn thing that Sam could do to stop it. His knees buckled and he sank into the snow, headless of the ice and gravel that dug into his body as he continued to watch his brother get tortured. Because there was no other word for what was happening to Dean, he was being tortured to death. Sam knew all the signs, just like Dean did…that's what happens where you have spent time in hell…the literal hell, with fire and brimstone and racks flowing with souls and blood.

"Oh god…Dean." He breathed as he heard his brothers' cry's cut off abruptly as his body shut down and he passed out from the pain. Because he had to have passed out, there was no way that Sam was going to believe that his big brother had just been killed in front of him, like some snuff movie.

"Well…I guess that's all the fun we are going to have for now. If you want to find your brother, then start looking backward Sammy…" the video clicked off and Sam continued to stare at the black screen.

_Look backwards?_

He was running all the ways that this might help him get to Dean, but where the hell did he start with that cryptic shit.

_That's Dean's area of expertise._

Sam exhaled the shaky breath he hadn't even realized that he had been holding and wiped at the tears that were running down his face. He flipped his phone open again and scrolled for the Sheriffs offices' number. Whether or not he wanted it, he needed help…and that meant CJ.

He waited impatiently for her to pick up, "Hello?" came the clipped voice of the sheriff.

"CJ, this is Sam Winchester." He heard her intake of breath before she answered.

"What's wrong Sam?"

He should have known that a cop would see right to the heart of a late night phone call.

"Dean's gone." Sam said quietly, working around the shattered quality he could feel in his voice.

"Gone…what do you mean he's gone?" CJ's voice was picking up octaves as she questioned Sam.

"Taken…gone CJ." He answered.

Silence was his only answer from the other end of the line, and then a sudden movement and the subtle shift of CJ's voice from the girl he had known to the sheriff that she had become. "Where are you Sam, I'm coming to get you and then we are going to find Dean."

"Yeah okay…uh CJ…the bastard is torturing him, so could you make it to the motel real fucking fast?" Sam's voice cracked on the word torturing.

"On my way!"

TBC…

Author's Note: _So I know it's another cliffhanger (and honestly I hate it when author's do that to me), but it's worth the wait I promise. Sam's gonna kick some serious ass when he finds out who got a hold of Dean and when are the twin's gonna show up…maybe in the next chapter. We'll just have to see. (_Author rubs hands together in evil anticipation_)._


	5. If I let you Go

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

_**Rating T**__: For language and injured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story. This may need to change based on the direction of the torture Dean is going through..._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

**Chapter 5**

_If I let you Go_

"So Dean…what would happen if I just let you go?" The voice asked casually as the man lowered Dean to the floor. Dean's knees immediately buckling and he collapsed forward, his arms still tied to the bar, unable to catch himself as his chest and face smashed into the dusty layer of grime that covered the floor. Immediately Dean felt pain shoot through his right cheekbone as it connected, his shoulder popping out of the socket at the same time. He groaned as the pain lanced through is already over abused body, he heard the footsteps move to just off to his left in the darkness, and he wondered if he could escape from the crazy bastard…and if he did how could he protect his family from someone he had never seen and therefor would have a hard time identifying.

Dean heard the sizzle of the branding iron again and he nearly shrank into himself at the thought being touched with the damn thing again. It was taking all his strength to remain conscious, let alone coming up with coherent levels of cognitive thought. But the fact that this sick bastard had threatened not only Sam , but also Dean's sons was fueling what little bit of stubborn Winchester pride that hadn't been beaten and burned to a bloody pulp.

"So before I move on, I want you to know, that I am going to take your son's innocence, the same way that you and your father stole mine." The voice sneered as the air shifted near Dean's naked feet.

The floor was cold and damp and Dean could feel a small pebble digging uncomfortably into the bone of his left hip. He groaned in response to the man, he knew that he was dead, there was no way getting around it. This man, whoever he was, was going to be the one to kill Dean Winchester. Heaven and Hell would probably send him a fruit basket or something for doing that they hadn't been able to. His mind threw a picture of Sam up and he shifted at the tangible pain that ran through his heart at the thought of his little brother finally having _really_ bury Dean. There would be no angel resurrections, or demon-deals…just an unmarked grave and an old wooden cross. The thought of his son's never knowing him, never understanding why Dean did what he did…that might have been the most painful realization.

Dean had never understood why his dad had stayed too obsessed with killing the demon. He understood the initial revenge, but when it took over both his and Sam's life too, that was the point where his father should have made a better decision; one to keep his sons safe and honor the memory and wishes of their mother at the same time. John should have been the father that Mary had asked him to be, not the one that dragged his sons all over the continental U.S. looking for a yellow eyed son of a bitch.

Dean's musings were brought to an abrupt halt when the poker touched the soul of his right foot. Dean howled in anguish as the fire lanced through his nerve endings and shot up his legs, through his back and into his head. White light exploded in front of his eyes as he tried to bite down on the searing pain.

The voice simply laughed as the poker was moved and slid slowly along the left sole of Dean's foot, causing the tough skin to sizzle and blacken. Dean's vision swam as he tried desperately to hang onto to consciousness, the spots had shifted from white to black and were getting larger as they threatened to take over and send him into oblivion. But Dean tried to maintain his awareness, limited though it was at this point, his shoulder was aching with increasing intensity and his head was throbbing in time to his heart beats. But the addition of the burns to the feet, and the ruin skin of his back were starting to create a huge problem in the awareness department.

Dean could have sworn that he was hearing something; rushing water…maybe he really couldn't tell.

"I'll be sure that your boys know exactly who is to blame for this Dean…Oh and I should probably let you know, that little _mother_ of theirs…she'll be right along behind you."

_No….don't take their mother._ The words started thrumming through Dean's brain as he considered that it was not only him that was going to lose here today, but also CJ and the twins. "No….l've h'r out of th's…" he muttered as he struggled to move at all.

Again the voice simply laughed, and Dean felt a boot sink into his back pushing him further against the unforgiving floor. His back screamed in agony as dirt and something else settled into the fillet flesh. Dean felt fresh blood start to flow over his flanks as the man twisted the boot and Dean sank immediately into the blackness, his mind no longer able to hold the darkness at bay.

The man leaned in close next to the unconscious Winchester and whispered, "Don't worry Dean, I'll make hers much less painful than yours. But when I twist those boys…it'll be slow…just like lil Sammy was."

There was no waiting for Dean to wake up, just the pure fact of dragging the heavy body of the oldest Winchester brother out to the old truck again and loading him into the bed once more. The man didn't bother with the blanket this time, because no one was ever going to look for the brother where he was taking him. The chances that Dean would survive this part of the punishment was so remote that he never considered it really, Dean would die. Alone, scared, injured, and knowing that he couldn't ultimately save his family. There was no reveng that would be sweeter than watching Dean come to the realization that if he can overcome his own severe injuries, then he might be able to save those boys and CJ. But the best part was, that by breaking Dean, he was really getting a two for one deal, the man would also break Sam...there would be no way that he could complete the trials without Dean. And just the thought of those two suffering...well it did things to him that really weren't normal. The Winchesters had ruined his life and now he was going to tear theirs apart with blood and tears.

A thought occured to the man before he lifted the tailgate, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and snapped a picture of the bloody, beaten, and burned man that had been thrown into the back, heedless of his injuries. He made sure that Dean's ruined feet were highly visible in addition to the strips of skin that had been peeled back by the whip. If this didn't get Sam's and CJ's attention, then nothing would and he would just have to accept that they meant more to Dean than he did to them. He dialed the younger Winchester's number, attached the picture to the text message and hit send...

TBC…

Author's Note: _Sorry the chapter is so short, but the next one is a lot longer with a pretty big reveal. I will try and have that up by Friday at the latest. Thanks for sticking with me, the muse has been a little slow this week, but it is starting to work over time. Also I am thinking that I may need to change the Rating, if you have an opinion or are more informed about this than me, please let me know. _

_And last but not least, the shameless request for reviews….like it…hate it…have any suggestions….please drop me a review and I'll see what I can do._


	6. Three Days

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

_**Rating a VERY STRONG T**__: For bad language and injured/tortured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

_Story is taking a nasty little twist for Dean, so be prepared for more tortured and emotional Dean and Sam. _

Chapter 6

_Three Days_

Sam was pacing at the motel, CJ still hadn't arrived, his patience was worn so thin that he debating on stealing the motel owner's tiny Le'Car. His mind kept throwing images of Dean at him faster than he could process them. Dean when they were kids, and his incessant need to make everything about Sam or their dad…he never considered how important he was to the dynamic. Dean when he had told Sam not get mad at him for making that hateful Demon deal that has sent him to hell. Sam's breath caught as the enormity of that one decision and what it had ultimately done to their lives settle like an anvil on his shoulders. Finally, Dean when he had asked Sam why he hadn't looked for him while he was in purgatory. He had stated that Sam was selfish years ago on the side of some random road, just before the whole Scarecrow incident, and as it had turned out…Dean was right.

_But not this time, big brother! I will find you._ The thought raced through Sam's frantic mind just as his phone beeped, letting him know he had a waiting text message. Without thinking he pulled his phone from his front pocket and flipped open, downloading the message at the same time. He long legs collapsed and he descended, none too gracefully to the floor as the picture popped up.

"My god…Dean." He whispered as he struggled to take in the mangled mess that was his brother. He would know that body anywhere, he had been looking up to Dean since he was 4 years old, and the bruised, battered, and bloodied form lying there was his brother.

Dean's feet caught Sam's attention almost instantly, he growled as anger flared through him at the blackened flesh and the angry red marks that littered Dean's bare feet.

Sam's breath caught in his throat as he noticed Dean's back, the blood made it almost impossible for him to tell what exactly had been done to his brother, but the amount of dried caked gore told Sam enough. He knew that if Dean was even still alive, he wouldn't be for long.

A loud knock at his door brought him back to the dingy motel room, and he realized that tears were streaming down his face. He scrubbed his fist over his eyes, wiping the physical remnants of his anguish from his face. He took a deep breath trying to quell the emotions surging inside of him. _Dean_. _Tortured. Bloodied. Dead?_ Nausea flared at his last thought and he swallowed hard trying to push it back down. He pulled himself shakily to his feet and stumbled the few steps to the door, pulling it open frantically.

CJ stood on the other side, her face a mask of anguish as she was staring at her own phone, the picture of Dean easily visible from Sam's taller angle. He bit his lip as he pulled her gently inside, closing the door as he did.

"Sam…" she muttered as she looked up into intensely worried blue-green eyes. "He's killing him…"

Sam squeezed his eyes shut against the pain and anger of that simply statement; sometimes he missed the time when he had had no soul. He simply worked off the facts; he was a better hunter due to that clarity. _But he wouldn't care that this things was killing Dean, he would just want to finish the job._ The thought flashed through his mind as he watched CJ trying to deal with this situation. He knew that she was a cop and so she probably been trained to deal with type of things, to some extent, but not on this level. Sam knew from firsthand experience what it was like to be flung around by the supernatural, and it sucked!

"CJ, we're going to find him…alive." Sam said as he pulled her into a hug, he thought he might be trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince her. He felt her breathing hitch against his chest as she tried to gain control of her emotions. She finally nodded and pulled away, "You're right…we are." She looked back the picture once again and something caught her attention, a barn…way far in the distance. But a barn that she knew.

"Sam, I think I might know where Dean is being held."

Sam's eyes lit up with desperation, "How. Where?"

"See that barn in the distance."

He nodded and she continued, "It's out off of old man Witman's place. It's off I-15 near the peak."

Sam was grabbing his coat and throwing it on before she could finish. He patted his lower back, ensuring that his Colt was still there. They were hustling down the steps to her waiting squad car, well not car it was Tahoe SUV, and it was still blessedly warm as Sam stepped into the passenger seat. He wanted to drive, so he could control how fast they got to his brother, but he had no clue where they were headed, so he had to let CJ drive. He suddenly had a whole new understanding of why Dean almost never let other people drive when they were on a case. This was apart from the fact that it was almost physically impossible for his brother to share the Impala. The tires squealed as she slammed on the gas and they peeled out of the parking lot.

XXXX

Dean felt his body shiver as the cold penetrated to his very bones, he tried to take stock of his current situation. _He was freezing_, check. _His body was bouncing painfully against a cold metal frame, truck bed_…check. _His head was flashing intense white light through his skull…concussion_…check. His thoughts started to wander, he wondered why everything was so damn cold, and why he was riding in the back of a pickup truck…and where the hell was Sam?

He was brought back to his current situation almost immediately as the truck jolted to a stop, and his head slammed into something lying beneath him…tire iron. He heard the driver's door open and close and the footsteps crunching over the frost covered ground. The tailgate was thrown open and someone grasped his ankles and hauled him cruelly from the bed and allowed his body to slam into the unforgiving ground. He groaned in response and tried to get a grip on the pain as it flared into sudden agony in his rib and his back as the frozen tundra pressed into the damaged flesh.

"Open your eyes Dean. I want you to see my face before I let nature kill you."

Dean struggled to open his one good eye, and tried desperately to get the other swollen orb to cooperate as well. He bit down his lip drawing blood as he tried to swallow back the vomit rising in his throat. Eventually the world came into focus and Dean saw a figure leaning over him, it was a man, which he had already deduced from the voice. But this man did not look familiar, Dean wasn't sure what he had expected, but some familiarity with his torturer had been somewhere on that list. The man leaned in and Dean noticed that he was about the same age as Sam, he had dark unkempt hair, a medium build…but it was his eyes that startled Dean the most. They were almost black, not demon-black, but just the pupils, the white surrounding the black giving the man a look of insanity. Which Dean supposed probably wasn't that far from the truth, he after all kidnapped Dean and methodically tortured him in a barn-type structure.

The man slapped his leg to get his attention back, "So, now you know what I look like, I guess I should give you a name…always good to know who is snuffing out your life." A smile of intense cruelty flashed across the man's face as leaned in close to Dean's ear, "Matt…" he waited for the knowledge to sink in. When he still got reaction or look of recognition, he rolled his eyes and slapped Dean in the face this time, causing the black spots to intensify again.

"You might know me better as the father of your children Dean, the man that raised them…and the man that is going to twist the shit out of their little souls once you and that bitch are out of the way." Dean nearly stopped breathing as the magnitude of that statement sank into his slowly shattering heart. "Do you have any idea how hard it has been to wait and plan all these years? Killing those people exactly as that monster had done all those years ago. But the prize…the prize was learning that she was pregnant with _your_ sons." Matt laughed, although there was no humor in it. "Imagine my relief when I realized that I could avenge the death of my mother and cause you unspeakable anguish…it was all I could do not to kill them the instant she agreed to marry me. She thinks we are soulmates" he snorted. "She was just a means to an end, the boys are old enough now, and I have learned a few more interesting details about you Winchester brothers…you have any idea what the blood of Winchesters twins would go for?" Matt watched as horror flashed across Dean's pain dulled emerald eyes. "Well, let me just tell you that it's a whole fucking lot." He waited as Dean tried to process the information, unable to hide his reactions because of his current physical state.

"No…" he moaned as he pictured his son's being bled dry by this sadistic bastard, _God, what Crowley alone would pay for that…_

"Yes, Dean. But it wouldn't be as much _fun_ if you didn't have a fighting chance to save those boys, and Sammy." Matt leaned over Dean and grabbed the tattered gray woolen blanket from the edge of the pickup, "So here's the deal, I'm going to leave you here, wherever here is, with this blanket and if you can make out of here alive…you might have chance of saving them." Matt tossed the blanket over Dean's shoulders, ignoring the cringe as the wool bit into the tender flesh.

"If you can make it to them before I do…well we'll just see if the Winchesters survival instinct is as strong as it's rumored to be."

"Wait…I don't…even know where…" Dean stammered around the pain, trying to bring a coherent thought together and stall Matt's inevitable departure.

"I hear your smart, and that your tracking skills are damn perfect Dean. You'll figure it out. But you only have three days, and then I kill Sammy, painfully I might add, and you _know_ what I mean by painful, CJ, I'll just shoot out of respect for our marriage vows, but those boys…they are gonna live long bloody lives. So there's your motivation, figure the rest out Dean." He stood and moved away from Dean climbing into the truck and firing it up.

Dean watched in horror as the truck pulled away from him. He tried to pull himself into a seated position, but his shoulder protested as he leaned on it, he was seething inside, but his body was broken on the outside. How was he going to save his family…he couldn't even sit up. He made a decision and leaned over so that his shoulder was pressing in the frozen dirt, gritting his teeth as he pressed hard and pushed until he heard the pop of the shoulder clunking back into place. His vision swam the rest of his wounds protested the movement. Thoughts of Sam and the boys and the untold others that would die as a direct result of his failure weighing on him like a ton of bricks. He finally managed to get his legs under him as he pulled the blanket closed around his abused body. Agony continued to seer through his back, but he bit down on the pain, trying to take stock in his other injuries. His feet were going to be a _huge_ problem, he wasn't sure if he could even walk. He looked around trying to get an idea where he had been left, his gaze falling on his boots thrown a few feet away. _Oh thank god._ He thought as he debated on trying to pull himself over the few feet, which suddenly looked like more than a mile. His feet were throbbing in time with his heart and he wondered if he would ever walk normally again, Dean knew that burns could do if left untreated.

He closed his eyes and grit his teeth leaning his weight on his good shoulder and started to drag himself over. Agony shot through every part of his system as the many different injuries complained against the small movements. His head was splitting and his vision was washing in and out as blood started to again run freely from the wounds on his back, the blanket absorbing some of it and the rest dripping from his side onto the snowy ground. It suddenly occurred to Dean that he wasn't shaking from the cold, _Great, just freaking peachy….now I have to deal with hypothermia too._ The thought ran over his pain and he noticed that he was almost to his boots, just as he reached for them he felt his shoulder slip out of the socket again and he slumped to the ground unconscious.

TBC…

**Author's Note:** _Cliffhangers… (_**_author rubs hands together in anticipation_**_) Is Dean going to be able to save his little brother and his boys? Or will the elements win and in the long run the sadistic Matt. A thought occurred to me, if Sam and Dean were so important to Heaven and Hell, imagine what their children would be worth, particularly if they were twins. Just a cool twist on the Winchester tale. _

_Is Sam gonna make it to Dean? Or will Dean make it out of the backwoods…to be determined._

_Shameless request for reviews, the reviews have been awesome and motivated the must to continue the tale earlier than anticipated. Please keep them coming, they help, trust me. Like it. Hate it. Review it and I'll try and fix the issues brought up._

_Thanks for reading._


	7. Man in the Wilderness

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

_**Rating A VERY STRONG T**__: For bad language and injured/tortured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

Chapter 7

_Man in the Wilderness_

Dean came back to consciousness slowly, his body complaining about it the whole time. He tried to breathe through the pain the way his dad had trained him to, sometimes that was just easier said than done. The pain was definitely one up on Dean Winchester. He tried to shift into a seated position, and ignore the nausea that washed through his system, again easier said than done. He knew his shoulder was still out of the socket and he wondered if he could remain conscious long enough to slam it into the ground and back into place. He decided, before he had time to change his mind, to go for it. He took a deep breath and came slowly to his knees and then dropped his left shoulder into the frozen ground, forcing the ball and socket to slide back into the place. He couldn't hold the cry of pain as this happened, but he did manage to stay conscious, so he would take it as a win. Dean sat for a moment and took stock of his situation, he had no clue where he was, he had no clue where Sam was, and god the boys…he had no idea if that son of bitch Matt had gone after them.

His breathing sped up at the thought of the boys, he was scared shitless for them, he knew what it meant to be on the supernatural radar, and it was generally bloody. He gritted his teeth against the pain and reached for his boots, deciding that he already wasted enough time, he had to get to his boys, and fucking bloody feet and snowdrifts weren't going to keep him away from that.

XXXX

Sam watched out the window as they pulled up outside an old barbwire fence, he could see the barn in the distance. The light was just starting to increase as day began announcing itself in the pre-dawn light.

"I think we should move on foot from here, I don't want to tip off this bastard." Sam said as CJ put the vehicle into park and cut the engine in silent agreement.

They both exited and started making their way up the snowing track, CJ looked at the tracks in the snow and wondered if there were made by a truck? She wanted to ask Sam but she didn't want to interrupt the silence that he seemed to need. This whole thing with Dean was weighing heavily on both of them, she wondered if her boys were ever going to meet their father. Matt had seemed opposed to the idea of her telling Dean about them at all, she hadn't thought too much about it at the time, maybe he was worried that Dean would want to take the boys. She knew better than that, she knew the type of person that Dean was and the type of life that he lived.

Sam held his hand up, in a 'halt' motion as he crouched down and motioned for her to do the same. Sam looked carefully at the tire marks in the snow, there were two different tracks, one that led to the barn and one that newer that was leading away from the barn in a northern direction.

He stood up, "He already took Dean away. The tracks lead north." She looked at him with confusion.

"How do you know?"

"The tracks on top are the newest and they lead that way." He pointed with his colt to the peak off in the north.

"Okay, so do we follow them on foot?" She looked back at the still warm car.

He snorted, "We do. The easiest way to miss something on a trail is to be motorized somehow."

She nodded, "I have parka's in the back along with water and some energy bars."

"Great, let's head out then."

Sam was getting frustrated, they had been walking for four hours, and the tracks were still moving to the north, he was cold and getting more and more scared for his brother. He still couldn't get that last picture of Dean out his head, his brother looked dead…and that just wasn't something that Sam was willing to consider seriously. He couldn't live with Dean dead…he just couldn't. The light was now full and he could see in almost every direction easily. He scanned the horizon for any sign of Dean, looking for any sign that his big brother might be out here in this frozen wasteland somewhere. He was just turning to talk to CJ, when movement caught his attention about two hundred yards up the road. He squinted against the sunlight and a cry of surprised was torn form CJ's throat as she saw the same thing.

"DEAN!" He yelled as he took off at a sprint. The closer he got to the movement, the more he wanted to puke. Dean was covered in blood, the blanket that he was barely holding onto was caked in it. He was crawling, not even walking, Dean was fucking crawling. His head down and simply putting one hand in front of the other, dragging his legs at he moved forward ever slow slowly.

Sam dropped to his knees next to Dean just as he dropped to his chest, his left arm giving out; Sam was able to catch his head before it could slam into the ground. "Dean." He whispered again, trying to get his attention.

Dean's eyes rolled up to Sam's, "S'mmy?" he mumbled.

"Yeah, Dean it's me." He looked for some recognition in his brother swollen and pain darkened green eyes. There was a split at the back of Dean's head that was still oozing, and the burns on Dean's shoulder had a green tint to them. Sam inhaled the smell of blood and infection as he looked over Dean, trying to determine what else was wrong with him,

"CJ call the Air Rescue!" He called as he continued to look at Dean, the concern increasing as he noted Dean's ruined back, the skin hanging in some places where it had literally been fileted off with that damn whip. The last thing that he knew he needed to look for the was the burned feet, he knew how bad those were, but at least that son of a bitch had given Dean his boots back. They weren't laced up, and one was almost hanging off, but the burns at least, were covered.

"It's okay Dean…we're gonna get you to the hospital." He leaned over so Dean would hear him.

Dean was muttering something, but Sam couldn't make out the words, he tried but they just made no sense to him. "Dean, just wait and tell me later."

Dean's eyes clouded with frustration, as he tried to sit up further in Sam's arms only to cry out as his back scraped along Sam's denim clad thighs, his voice scratchy and harsh with overuse. He immediately slumped against Sam as the darkness overtook him again.

"Dean!" Sam cried as the eldest Winchester ceased moving.

The chopper arrived less than 10 minutes later and Dean along with Sam and CJ was on his way to the emergency room in Salt Lake City. Dean never regained consciousness while they were en route; the paramedic pulled the blanket from around Dean and sucked in a breath as he looked at the injuries.

"What the hell happened to him?" he looked Sam with trepidation as he tried to start dealing with the multitude of injuries he found.

"It's a long story." Sam breathed quietly and continued to watch Dean's shallow breathing.

The guy, to his credit, nodded and then moved on to look at Dean's booted feet; he gently pulled the boots from the ruined feet. There was a sick sucking sound as the first boot fell to the floor, soon to be followed by the other. The blood started flowing freely as the scabs were torn from the soles and the smell of the infected flesh was nauseating. Sam gulped as he tried to stop breathing for a second; he had never been so grateful that Dean wasn't conscious in his life as he at this particular moment.

"My god." The paramedic whispered.

XXXX

Dean was floating…again with the flipping floating…what the hell was going on with the floating. He remembered…nothing, just pain and the floating. He was struggling to pull his fractured thoughts into order, first…_where the hell was Sam_? _Second…where the hell was he_? He waited, hopeful that the thoughts would start to make sense, but they just wouldn't cooperate, well that was the story of his freakin life. He finally managed to force his sticky eyelids open, but getting the world to come into focus, took a bit more effort. His left eye would only open a fraction of what it was supposed to, and he knew from past experience that whatever was going on was the result of injury.

"Dean…hey…hey. You're in the hospital." Sam answered the unasked question, as Dean's eyes swiveled to crash into his brother's concerned blue-green puppy-dog eyes.

_Oh thank god…Sammy._ His eyes moved around the room and fell on CJ and two boys…his boys…sitting in plastic chairs in the corner. They were watching him with intense interest and fear as they each dissected the first reaction of their father. Dean blinked as he looked at them; they looked like carbon copies of him and Sam when they were younger. Right down to one with longer shaggy brown hair and golden green eyes, instead of Sam's blue-green, and the other with short darker blond hair and brilliant emerald green eyes, an exact replica of himself. The boys stood together and stepped up next to the bed.

"Hey…dad." They said in unison.

TBC…

Author's Note: _Thank you to Halit for the suggestion as to where Dean would meet the twins officially. I liked it so here you go. The boys still haven't addressed who the bad guy is yet…don't worry that's coming ASAP. Oh and there will be tragedy in the next chapter. So stay tuned._

_I am always looking for additional reviews, so if you have constructive advice please send it my way._


	8. UnMasked

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

_**Rating SRONG T**__: For language and injured/tortured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

Chapter 8

**_UnMasked_**

Dean stared at the boys, his mind unable to properly comprehend the fact that he had just been called 'Dad'. He pulled his eyes away and looked for Sam, who was watching the whole situation with a look of awe on his face. Dean's eyes then panned to CJ's and he smiled slowly, the morphine in his system making him feel more emotional…yeah that was the issue, the morphine was doing it. Not the fact that he had two healthy strong sons that were looking at him with nothing but concern and interest, a fact that he owed to the amazing woman standing silent behind them. He nodded slightly at her, acknowledging what she had done for him, she could have told them what a bastard he really was and that he had abandoned them. But CJ had chosen to try and allow there to be a way that they could know one another at a later point in life, she had chosen not to poison the minds of the twins with tales of the infamous Dean Winchester. Instead, she had explained what they did and why both he and Sam had left so many years ago and why they hadn't heard from their father.

_She left me with a wide open channel of communication._ A fact that he was extremely grateful for at this moment, where he was trying to think of something that was not inspired by the drugs coursing through his system.

Sam saved him, "Boys. I'm your uncle Sam." He held out a large hand and waited for them step forward and shake it.

Cameron stepped forward and grasped Sam's hand heartily, as he smiled…up…up…way up at his uncle. "Uncle Sam, it's nice to finally meet you." Cameron's golden-green eyes lighting up.

Cole stepped almost immediately and thrust his own small hand out for Sam to acknowledge, his intense green eyes filling with humor, "We've been waiting…for like…forever dude." He said as a pair of dimples were exposed as smile spread on his lips.

Sam felt his heart clench, these two boys looked so much like him and Dean, that he wondered how they could be such carbon copies.

"Great to meet you guys. Officially." Sam answered quietly, his own dimples deepening.

Dean watched the interactions with a heavy heart, on one hand he was so glad to know that the boys were out there and safe. Yet, there was the hunter side of him that knew that the simple fact that they were his son's would make them hunted targets for the rest of their lives. He tried to smile as the boys stepped away from his brother and wound their way toward his bedside, his eyes closing as he tried to think of how to open this conversation.

"Hey." He finally croaked out and he was pretty proud of that statement, since the morphine was messing with his head. CJ smiled and stepped up behind the boys, placing a hand Dean's calf, careful of the bandages on his feet.

"Guys, your father is waiting for you to introduce yourselves."

The boys kinda looked at the ground and then each smiled in turn. The one with the dimples sat down next to Dean's hip and placed on hand carefully on Dean's own larger one.

"Uh…I'm Cole…and that's my brother Cameron. He's older." Cole explained the last part with a scowl on his handsome young face, his eyes flashing a more intense green as he did so.

Cameron threw him a nasty look and snorted, "Not my fault dude, blame mom."

Dean couldn't believe his ears or his eyes, they even sounded like him and Sam, what the hell…

Sam snickered and looked at CJ with a bit of smirk as he listened to the snarking between the two kids.

_God, I remember when Dean and I were just like that._ It was a good memory, Sam loved that part of their childhood, and there had been so many rotten times that he treasured these memories more ruthlessly now than he ever had when they were younger.

CJ watched as Dean's eyes starting to droop and while she wanted the boys to have more time with Dean, she knew that the level of his injuries were severe and he would need as much rest as possible. The only reason that the nurses had let this many of them into the room was a personal favor to her. But she knew that they were going to be pushing their luck, so it would be better to come back in a few hours and let Dean rest.

"Boys, your father needs his rest, and we need to go get some decent food into your stomachs." She stepped up slowly and pulled Cole from the bed and into a hug, when he threw here a defiant look.

Dean's eyes crinkled with concern, he was so tired but he didn't want to be alone, he had had enough of that in that damn barn and in the wilderness. Sam smiled at Cameron as he stepped up behind his mother and glared at his brother. _Yeah, he is definitely the older brother._ Sam thought as he watched the scene play out before him, he glanced over at his own brother and watched as Dean's eye's flared with longing.

"CJ, I'm gonna stay with Dean, but if you grab me a sandwich or something and the biggest coffee you can find, that would amazing."

A muffled, hopeful voice chimed in from the bed, "Make that two big ass coffees?"

"Not on your life Dean." He retorted.

XXXX

The boys and CJ were almost out the door, when Cole came running back and gently threw his arms around Dean's shoulders and hugged him, "Bye, dad." He whispered.

CJ watched her youngest son from the doorway with a small smile on her plump lips, he was so different from Cameron. Cole just wanted to be loved, he was a lot like Dean in that respect, and he would give it so easily that sometimes it hurt to watch. She knew that it would cause him anguish as he got older, he had inherited his father's amazing good looks, but he had Sam's heart. Cameron on the other hand, was more like her, he was polite and interested, but he wouldn't really put himself out there until he was sure that he wasn't going to get hurt.

The boys had grown up with Matt as their only idea of what a father should be, and while Matt loved the boys, he had always been aware that they were not his. A fact that she had never really understood, they had wanted kids of their own, but that had never happened. CJ was fairly certain that it was a problem with Matt, since she already had the twins, but he had never really wanted to discuss it. He had hauled them around in that old restored truck of his to their games and rehearsals, in Cole's case, and even taught them to ride horses out at her uncle's place in Layton.

She tossed one last glance at Dean, noticing that his eyes had slipped shut and he looked peaceful. CJ smiled to herself as she motioned her boys out of the room and gently closed the door behind her.

XXXX

Sam watched until CJ and the boys disappeared down the hallway and then turned his worried eyes toward his brother. "Dean, I know you're not asleep."

"Could'a been Sammy." He mumbled as he pulled his eyes open and looked Sam.

"Dean, I need to know who took you or what took you…" Sam watched as a sudden flash of horror settled on Dean and he started struggling to get up. Sam pushed him back into the bed, being careful of the many wires and monitors that were currently keeping tabs on his brothers life.

Dean's eyes were glazed and horror struck, "Matt…" he whispered, so that Sam had to actually lean in to make out the word.

He shook his head in denial, "CJ's husband?" he repeated as his mind tried to grapple with that thought.

Dean nodded slightly as he struggle to keep his eyes open, his face starting to sweat with the effort. "My god, Dean why?"

Dean shook his head, "He said he wanted…blood…for blood."

Sam looked at his big brother in utter confusion, neither of them knew who this guy was, they had never met him, so why would he want to kill them?

Dean inhaled and pushed his pain down as he felt the morphine start to thin in his system, "Something…about his mother…and the Winchester blood."

Sam's mouth moved, but no sound was coming out as he stared into Dean's glassy green eyes, he was searching for any sign that this was the medication talking. He should have known that his brother would not say something like this unless there was truth to it.

"Winchester blood, what do you mean Dean?"

Dean closed his eyes as he tried to pull together the facts that were laced in with the blood and pain. "The fact…that the boys are …twins. It makes…their blood…special….Poindexter." Sam thought about that and gasped involuntarily as his too large brain comprehended both that fact and the fact that his brother had just teased him.

"Dean, does CJ have any clue?"

Dean shook his head slowly, "No…don't think so."

Sam nodded and reached for his cell phone, he knew that they couldn't have gotten far, so he might be able to catch them before them did. He dialed and waited as the phone rang, and rang, and rang. There was no answer, CJ wasn't answering and that was never good in their experience.

"Dean I'm gonna run down and see if her car is still in the parking lot and I'll be right back." He reached over and gently squeezed his brothers arm, avoiding the multitude of bandages. Dean smiled slightly and nodded his understanding.

Sam turned and pulled the door open, quickly exiting the room and disappearing down the hall before Dean could say anything else.

Sam ran to the elevator, noticing that it was going to go up and not down when it did arrive. He turned to the door that marked the stairs and spring down them two at a time, plowing through the door on the ground level and bursting out into the crisp air. His eyes adjusted to the bright light and he shaded them as he glanced furiously at the cars in the lot, trying to located CJ's black SUV. He saw it just as he was turning to head to the other end of the lot, Sam ran to the vehicle and was surprised to find unoccupied.

He spun around looking for CJ and the boys…the lot was empty, except for a few cars and this old truck parked about two rows over. It was a restored ford. Something about it was nagging at Sam's memory, he walked slowly toward it, pulling his colt out as he did. The tunnel cover on the back of the truck was closed, but as Sam got closer his breathing increased exponentially as he placed the tailgate.

Fear and anger warred within Sam as he stared at the truck, and then his brain kicked in.

_Sonovabitch…if that truck is here…that bastard is trying to finish what he started with Dean._

Sam turned and ran as fast as his long legs would carry him back into hospital.

XXXX

CJ noticed that the truck parked about two rows from her vehicle belonged to Matt, _what was he doing here?_ She thought as she stared at it. She hit the unlock button for the car and watched as the boys pushed each other jokingly, arguing about who was going to get to sit in the front seat. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to figure out what was up with Matt, and then she had a horrible realization hit her square between the eyes. Her husband's truck was muddy, like really muddy, like it had been out on the back roads somewhere muddy.

CJ's rational mind argued with her professional training as the detective within her started pulling pieces together in a disjointed fashion. Suddenly the unusual behavior of her husband over the last several weeks was making more and more sense. He heart broke as she came to the only logical explanation there was. Her husband had kidnapped and tortured Dean, he had killed those people to bring the hunter back to the sleepy little town of Malad. She felt her knees start to wobble as the realizations kept slamming into her unprepared mind.

_How in the hell have I missed this?_ She kept asking over and over.

CJ was interrupted by Cameron as he stepped up next to her and placed his hand on her elbow, "Mom, you okay?" He asked, his voice small and extremely concerned.

Her eyebrows flew into her hairline and she shook her head as tears welled up in her blue eyes. She pulled her boy into a hug and then immediately thought of Dean, lying in the hospital bed. He couldn't protect himself, and Sam didn't know. Matt was obviously good enough to fool her for the last 11 years, he could fool Sam for the 11 seconds it would take to finish the job with the severely impaired Dean.

"We have to go back upstairs…" She said as she pulled away from Cameron and slammed her door.

"What's going on mom?" Cole called as he came around the front of the vehicle.

CJ's throat closed as she realized that Matt was standing next to Cole with silver knife held to the boys carotid artery. He looked scared to death and the confusion that was racing through his golden-green eyes. There was a thin line of blood trickling from where the razor sharp edge pressed into the delicate skin.

Cameron's eyes flew from his terrified brothers to the man that they had called father for the as long as he could remember. "Dad, what are you doing?" He asked as his green eyes filled with tears and his voice cracked with anguish.

CJ's own tears were falling freely now as she took in the terrified expression on one son's face and the betrayal reflected on the other ones. She had done this to them. She had brought Matt into their lives, and she had thought that he was the most amazing man…and suddenly all of that was gone. It was like she was looking at a stranger, she wasn't even sure if she knew who he really was.

He sneered at her as he pressed the knife a little deeper into Cole's neck, she flinched as she cried out, "No…Matt stop…he's just a little boy."

He looked into her eyes, his own brown eyes cold and empty, "You wondering why you're having a hard time remembering why you ever loved me?" he smirked and twisted the knife slightly causing Cole to lift up onto his tip-toes to relieve the pressure; tears flowing freely as he did.

She didn't give him the satisfaction of an answer.

He smile cruelly and continued, "Spells, are interesting things…honey." She blinked in confusion, "You stupid bitch…really are that dumb? I thought that was just that dumb fucking jock that knocked you up. But now I know how he got it done."

His insults brought some fire to her eyes, but he squelched it with one twist of the knife.

Cameron was crying as he watched his brother's blood flow more easily from the cut.

"Now what do you say we go up and end this?" He asked he started pulling Cole away from CJ and Cameron toward the stairwell. "Oh and CJ, if you try anything, any of that kung-fu shit you're into, I'll slit his throat so fast, they won't be able to save him, not even here, and then...I'll come after Cameron."

Her breathing hitched as she looked from one son to the other with horror. The color drained from Cameron's face as he pictured what Matt had threatened.

TBC…

Author's Note: _So this is the last cliffhanger as the whole thing is coming to a head in the next chapter. I will post that ASAP, possibly by to tomorrow, depending on the reviews and the appearance of the writing muse. Thank you to everyone that has been so awesome with the communication throughout this fic, it has been amazing. I prefer to write the angst, so hopefully you enjoy reading it. Thanks for the support. _

_Please review if you feel so inclined_.


	9. Tragedy and Decisions

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit. _

**Contains tragedy in this chapter, so be warned.**

_**Rating A VERY STRONG T**__: For language and injured/ tortured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

**Chapter 9**

_Tragedies and Decisions _

Dean watched his brother disappear out the door and turned his head away from the hallway. He wanted to go, but he couldn't walk, currently, and he would be more of a hindrance than a help. Dean trusted Sam to deal with this, and that thought actually surprised him, he hadn't realized that the damage from four years ago had been repaired. But it obviously had, because he was willing to leave the lives of his sons in his brother's care. He smiled as that thought drove home, causing warmth to spread in his chest.

A doctor entered just then and Dean looked up, his breathing unsteady as he looked at the medical professional.

"Dean Hagar. I'm Dr. Spencer and I have been taking care of you."

Dean nodded and watched the man's soft brown eyes look at a chart he was holding and then walk over to check the numbers on the monitors. "You have some very serious injuries, Dean." Dean continued to stare, without saying a word.

The man turned to look at him, "I have to say that I am curious how you came by these injuries, they are indicative of torture." The doctor watched for a reaction from his patient and sighed when he got nothing. The brother hadn't given him anything to go on either, just a name and the nature of their relationship.

"Okay, since you don't seem to feel like talking, this what your recovery will entail, the burns to your feet will be the worst. The healing will require that you stay off of them for the next few weeks, in addition to physical therapy once they can bear your weight. The concussion is severe, but will heal on it' own, with time…as for the other burns on your shoulder and ribcage, again they will heal, however there will be some scarring. We will of course try to minimize this, but there is only so much modern medicine can do. At least your face was spared, if you don't count the current swelling and bruising" He stopped and consulted his chart, as Dean listened to long list of wounds. He was well aware of how Matt had hurt him, but hearing it all laid out was awful, Sam must have flipped out when the doctor had told him all of this…_wait, had the doctor told Sam about my injuries, or should he be here right now hearing them with me?_

"Does my brother know all this?" Dean asked quietly, pulling the doctor from his thoughts.

"No, I have not had a chance to talk to him, since I finished the evaluation. I will be sure to inform him as soon as I can. Also, Dean there were several bruised ribs, and two broken ones, that required that we wrap your torso, so that is why you probably feel constricted." Dean again nodded.

"Lastly, and certain not least, your back." The doctor visibly cringed as he pictured the mutilated flesh of this poor man's back. "Again, it will heal with time, but there was a lot of damage, some of the skin had to be removed and while we have you on extremely strong antibiotics, there is still a chance of infection. We are hopeful that we caught it in time, but we won't know for a day or so if your body is able to fight off any bugs that might be lingering in your system. It would have been better if the wounds had been seen to immediately and not left for days." The man turned and smiled down at Dean, once more as he turned to leave the room.

"Doc?" A soft voice from the bed caused him to turn, "Don't tell my brother how bad it is…" The doctor looked like he wanted to protest, but decided that maybe Dean had his reasons and nodded his agreement.

"Okay, I'll let you decide how much he needs to know."

Dean smiled his thanks, "Good. Thanks doc."

After the doctor left the room, Dean inhaled a shaky breath and tried to figure out how the hell they were going to get out of this one. He knew that they couldn't very well stay in the hospital waiting for him to heal up properly, but he had no clue where they could go and still have access to the medical stuff needed. He supposed that they could always go back to the 'Batcave' that the men of letters had left for them. But that meant leaving the twins, and damned if he was going to do that just yet. He had just met them and he wasn't ready to lose them to this god forsaken life that he had been indoctrinated into through fire, death, and necessity.

He knew that Sam would agree with him, but if they stayed would they just bring further tragedy into the boys lives and CJ's? He mulled the thoughts around and noticed that his thoughts were becoming more disjointed as the medication that the doctor had administered just before leaving started to kick in. As much as Dean hated being 'high' on pain meds, at the moment he was pretty grateful for relief from the agony that was starting to shoot through his system again. Everything from the tips of his feet to his hairline hurt like hell. His eyelids dropped closed and Dean slipped into sleep, he never saw the man watching discreetly through the window on the door. Nor did he see as the man opened the door and ushered in CJ, Cameron, and a very frightened Cole.

Matt motioned for CJ to wake Dean up; he never pulled the knife from Cole's neck, the blood still flowing pretty freely from the long cut. Cole's eyes were huge as he stared at his mother and his brother, he bit down on his lip, trying to squash the fear and the confusion that was rolling inside of him.

He looked at Cameron and saw his own anguish reflected out his twin's golden eyes, and tried to smile. He didn't want Cam to be scared, he was going to be okay, they were all going to be okay. Cole wasn't sure how, but there was just no other option, they all had make it out this. He still wasn't sure what had happened to make Matt hate them or why he hated their father so much, but at the moment what mattered was his family and it no longer included Matt. His green eyes sparked with life and Cameron shook his head slightly, giving him a silent order to _stand down_. He scrunched his eyes as he reflected his understanding at Cameron, but he wasn't happy about it.

Cameron on the other hand was watching Matt with something akin to hatred blasting out of his golden-green eyes. He also didn't understand, but he knew that this man had tricked them and their mom for years, and he was now trying to kill them all. He ground his teeth in frustration at the situation; he watched the knife against his brother's throat with horror and rage. He couldn't make a move without putting Cole in danger, their mother, a cop, couldn't do anything. Matt knew when he took Cole that he would have them all by the short hairs, Cole was the least well trained and would be the easiest to control.

"Cam…I can see the wheels turnin…you should stop them." Matt said through clenched teeth, and dug the knife a little deeper. Cole grunted in response and Cameron paled as the line of blood became a slow stream.

"Matt, stop." CJ cried as she took a slow step toward her son and he her, she almost chocked on the thought, husband.

Matt smiled cruelly, "Wake him up, CJ."

"No need…asshole, I'm awake." Dean rasped from the bed. He tried to sit up, but the drugs were messing with his motor skills and he only managed to shift subtlety.

Matt smiled evilly, turning his attention to Dean, but he didn't move the knife as he took in the eldest Winchester's actions.

"Dean, so glad you made it sport. I was worried that wouldn't, should have known better though…you Winchesters are freakin hard to kill…well permanently anyways."

Dean snorted, and then cringed as the action caused his rips to shift painfully, "You have no idea…" he muttered.

Matt laughed, "Yeah, actually I do. Been talking to some friends…well friends is too strong a word, acquaintances really, guys with fully black eyes, and they said that you two have died…god…no one knows how many times. You always seem to come back…like a cockroach."

"Matt you don't have to do this." CJ said as she tried to shift closer to them, wondering if she would pull Cole away before he could strike her son down.

He cocked his head at her and narrowed his eyes, "Stop CJ, I know what you're doing…and you should stop." He pulled the knife away and dropped it to Coles collarbone, cutting the child along the bone. A gasp escaped Cole as surprise and pain caught him off guard. CJ gulped and stepped away quickly, looking at Dean in fear. His eyes were spitting green fire at Matt, "I'ma kill you…you sonovabitch!" he breathed in anger.

Matt smiled again, "Oh, I don't think so Dean-o…" He shifted and actually threw Cole at Dean, the boy landing hard on Dean's injured chest, compressing the broken ribs (there was an audible pop), pressing his still agonizingly painful back into the mattress simultaneously. Dean sucked in an anguished breath as he instinctively reached up to catch the boy, "Oh god." He cried out without thought.

CJ made a move to disarm Matt, just as Sam burst through the door, anger changing instantly to rage as he took in the situation instantly. His blue-green eyes moved frantically from Dean to Matt, taking in the location of the boys, and then finally to CJ moving in Matt's direction. He pulled his colt from his waistband and brought it up, leveling it at Matt, when suddenly the gun was flung from his hands and into Matts. _Fucking witches!_ Sam thought as he reached for his back up weapon.

CJ saw Matt take aim at Dean and Cole lying on the bed, Cameron trying to move out of path of destruction and to his brother's side. Both boys now directly in the line of fire, Dean was trying desperately to push the boys to the floor, but they were at the moment stronger than their father.

"No!" CJ cried as she dove in front of her sons. Guns are a lot louder in real life than they are in the movies, and they hurt a hell of a lot more when you get shot with one too. CJ heard the dual report of the weapons and felt the bullet sink into her chest as pain bloomed in her left side. She fell bonelessly to the floor as Matt dropped beside her, a bullet hole between his eyes, where Sam's shot had bull-eyed.

CJ looked into the dead eyes of a man that she had never really known, and wondered how it had ever gotten to this point.

"CJ!" Sam cried as he dropped to his knees beside her, "Oh god…Cameron!" the boy stared with frightened eyes at the blood spreading on his mother's chest. "CAMERON!" Sam repeated, louder this time.

Cam's tear filled eyes, met Sam's, "Go get a doctor, now!" The boy nodded and sprang from the room.

"Sam…the boys…they have no one…but Dean…and you." CJ whispered as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Sam, is she okay?" Dean asked as he tried to move around the bundle of child huddled painfully into his chest. He was trying to see what had happened, he knew that CJ had been hit, in addition to Matt. What Dean didn't know was how bad it was. He was trying to stay focused, he really was, but the drugs were playing havoc with his concentration.

"Sam…make sure they're…safe." She said as her breathing rattled in her chest, Cole had clambered off the bed and was now sitting next to his mother, the tears streaming down his face. He reached for her hand with his small blood smeared one, "Mom…don't die." He cried as he leaned into her.

Cameron burst back into the room, followed by two medical techs. They looked confused, but they immediately went to the two downed bodies, one calling for more nurses as soon as he saw the bullet hole in Matt's head. The wound in CJ's chest was sucking now as she tried to breathe, "Sir, I need you to move so I can save her life." The tech pushed Sam out of the way, and another one pulled Cole from his mother. He screamed and fought like a wild animal, "NO…MOM!" he cried.

Cameron watched with a look of stunned confusion on his face, his eyes were red and tears were running freely down his cheeks. He moved to his brother to try and calm him down as he stared at his mother on the floor of his father's hospital room floor, bleeding to death; all because she had tried to save him and Cole.

Sam gathered the struggling boys into his arms and pulled them away from the scene, standing next to the head of Dean's bed. Dean had tears rolling silently down his stubbled face as he listened to what he couldn't see.

Tragedy, that seemed to be all that he and Sam had going for them. They killed everyone that they came into contact with, if they hadn't come back here, then none of this would have happened. Sure Matt was a crazy, sadistic, SOB, but he wouldn't have killed CJ without Dean there as a catalyst.

XXXX

Cole sat in a corner chair, a bandage taped into place on his neck, a small bright red patch where he had bled through the white covering. There were tracks of dried tears evident on his face as he stared at his sleeping father, his green eyes reflecting fathomless pain. The nurses had sedated his father, made him sleep as Uncle Sam explained, Dean had been too worked up over the situation and it wasn't good for his recovery.

Cameron, on the hand, was staring out the window into the rain; his own golden-green eyes deceptively dry as he listened to the room behind him.

"What's going to happen to us now, Sam?" Cameron asked without turning around.

Sam's heart clenched painfully as he heard the resignation and acceptance in the young man's voice, because they had just been _forced_ to grow up in an instant... "We'll look out for you two." Sam answered quietly, he didn't know exactly how that would work with their lives and the earth shattering mission that they were now involved with. _Shutting the gates of hell forever_.

Cameron nodded and again went silent causing Sam's soul to shatter just a bit more for this silent, accepting, little boy.

"Cameron." Dean's quiet voice called from the shadows in the bed.

Cameron turned a blank stare in the direction of his father, "Yeah?"

"I won't leave you boys. I promise." He whispered from the darkness. Dean's voice was hoarse with emotion as he looked for any sign that these two little boys would accept him and Sam into their lives, because they no longer had a choice. Their choice had been stolen from them the moment CJ's heart had stopped beating; it was etched in the ink on their birth certificates in the form of one word…_Winchester._

TBC…

**Author's Note: ** _Okay, let me first apologize__ to anyone that was thinking that Dean was going to end up with CJ…but just like in the series, women in the Winchester's lives generally have a short span. It was always my plan for Dean and Sam to wind up with custody of the twin's and investigate how that responsibility would affect their lives and their mission. _

_I was going to try and stay at 10 chapters, but I think this story has quite a few chapters left before I can in good conscience turn the boys back over to their own lives. I hope that you readers will continue to ride along with them as they learn how to deal with two broken hearted little boys and Dean's recovery. Sam is going to continue to play a huge role in this story. _

_Please review if you feel so inclined._


	10. The Move

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

**_Rating T_**_: For language and injured/tortured Dean and injured/worried Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

**Chapter 10**

**_The Move_**

Cole looked up at that and then over at his brother. He brought his attention back to his father and stood slowly, walking the few steps to the bed. He looked into the anguished eyes of their only living parent, now, and the tears started to roll again as he leaned in and hugged Dean.

Sam had to look away from the scene, the emotions that were welling up inside him had been pushed down so many years ago that he all but forgotten. This was what it was like to have family…family that really wanted you and that would do anything for you. He knew that both he and Dean would die to protect these boys, but the loss of their mother would scar them in ways that both the elder Winchesters understood.

Dean inhaled a shuttering breath and knew that their lives were about to change, drastically. They couldn't abandon their mission, but he couldn't abandon these boys either…and he refused to raise them as their own father had. So it looked like they would all be going back to the 'bat cave'…together.

The funeral took place the following Saturday, the doctor had to be 'convinced' to let Dean out of the hospital, meaning that he had to sign himself of AMA. But there was not a chance in hell that Dean was going to miss that. The twins stayed with Sam while Dean continued his recovery in the hospital for the previous days and Sam brought the boys in everyday to visit. Dean was concerned about how quiet Cameron had gone, but he was ecstatic at how easily Cole seemed to allow him in. Cameron seemed to talk to Sam a lot, and while that made Dean sad, he was glad that the kid was talking to anyone. He just wished that it was him. He wanted to know these two kids, but the fact that the introduction of him into their lives had cost them their mother weighed heavily on him too. Sam was constantly telling him that it wasn't his, but if it wasn't his then whose was it? Dean couldn't blame Sam or even their father for the recklessness of his youth that was totally on him. The fact that two children had resulted from such actions was what Dean regretted, he wasn't sure that he could bring himself to regret that these two boys were born, it was just that he wished he had been involved from the beginning. Dean hoped that the man that he was when he was younger would have taken the situation seriously, but he wasn't sure that was the case.

He sat in his wheelchair, since the damn doctor wouldn't allow him to walk from the hospital, and waited for Sam to bring the Impala around. Cole was standing next to him, rocking back and forth on his heels, Dean smiled as remembered a young Sam doing the exact same thing when he was younger.

"Cole, you okay?" Dean asked.

Cole turned his head in his father's direction, and tried to smile, "Yeah, just missing mom today." Dean nodded and turned back to looking at the parking lot as he answered. "Yeah, I miss her too."

Cole looked at him again, "Uh, where are we going after the funeral?" His voice cracked on the word 'funeral'.

Dean brought his attention back around, "Sam and I have a place that you guys will be safe in. You can go to school and you won't have to move a bunch."

Cole's green eyes watered as he asked the next question, "But we won't know anyone…and we won't have any friends."

Dean's throat clenched at the innocence of that. "No buddy, you will have to make new ones, but you will have me and Sam."

Cole inhaled a shaky breath and stepped over to his father's arm, "I'm glad I still have you." He whispered.

Dean felt his eyes prick with tears, "I'm glad I have you too pal."

The Impala roared up as Sam and Cameron exited the vehicle, "Dean, you were supposed to wait in the room." Sam admonished as he walked around and placed a find hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I know, but I'm starting to feel pretty 'cagey' so Cole and I thought that we would wait out here." Dean glanced over at Cameron and was surprised to see a small smile playing at the corners of his oldest son's lips.

"Yeah, Cole's not too good at doing what he's told to."

Sam snickered, "Yeah, well…neither is Dean."

"Hey, we are right…here." He said as he gestured between himself and Cole.

Sam just nodded, "Yup…there you are jerk."

"Bitch, don't start with me." Dean grumbled and then immediately realized that there two little kids listening to everything that they said.

"Sorry, guys."

"We've heard worse." They said simultaneously.

Dean's eyebrows rose at that, "Well, that's something that we'll have to work on."

The twins nodded and climbed into the back seat of the Impala, Sam rolled Dean to the passenger door and helped him into the car. He was careful of Dean's feet, since they still weren't healed anywhere near enough that he could walk unaided yet. Dean still had remnants of the bruising on his face and he moved slowly to avoid jarring the other injuries that were still pretty painful.

XXXX

The boys were asleep in the back seat as Sam drove the last hundred miles back to their home base. The funeral had been awful, just like they had known that it would be, the townsfolk were still reeling from the tragedy and the loss of their sheriff. CJ had been well loved in the town and the twins would be seriously missed. The legalities where the twins were concerned were surprisingly simply. CJ had left explicit instructions that should something happen to her that the boy's biological father, one Dean Winchester, was to have full legal custody of them. That fact had caused Dean to have to leave the room, while he tried to collect his fragmented emotions. She had entrusted these two little boys to his judgment without ever knowing if she would see him again.

"Dean, how are we going to do this?" Sam whispered.

Dean shook his head, he had absolutely no idea. "I got no clue." He said quietly.

"Our lives aren't really set up for this." Sam continued.

Dean cut him off, "No shit dude. You think I don't know that?"

He looked over his shoulder at the pair, Cole's head was resting on Cameron's shoulder and the older boy's head was leaning against the window.

Dean was seized with a memory of him and Sam when they were little, they had spent so much their childhood in this car and the fact that he was about to pull his own sons into this world was tragic as far as he was concerned.

Dean had known when he gave up Ben, that it had been for the best; but Ben had Lisa and a normal life. Castiel had seen to that. But these two…they were damned by the very blood in their veins. It didn't matter how much he and Sam tried to protect them from the supernatural, at some point someone was going to go blab to Crowley and then what?

"Sam, what happens if Crowley learns about them?" Dean asked.

Sam looked over at his brother for a moment, "What do you mean Dean?"

Dean remembered that he had never had a chance to really explain Matt's master plan to his brother, and pulled in a deep breath before he continued.

He looked to make sure the boys were still asleep before he continued. "Matt was going to bleed the boys and sell the blood to Crowley or whoever would pay the most. Apparently the Winchester blood is rare and extremely useful for specific spells."

Sam inhaled sharply but stayed quiet, hoping that Dean would continue.

"Anyways, the blood of twin Winchester boys…extremely valuable."

"Dean, do you think he told whoever his 'acquaintance' was about them?"

Dean blew out a breath, "I don't know, Sammy."

Sam nodded his understanding, his eyes flicking from the road to his brother and back again.

"Dean, I repeat, how is this going to work?"

Dean didn't answer, he just looked out the window and was quickly lost in his own thoughts.

Neither brother saw the small movement from the back seat as Cameron laid his head back against the window quietly. He had heard his father start talking to his uncle and the nosey twelve year old part of him had wanted to know what the 'adults' talked about when they thought the kids were asleep. He wished he didn't know now. Cameron was concerned for both himself and Cole and the fact that they were being thrust into a world that consisted of monsters and death scared him. He rolled his eyes to the rapidly passing road and wondered if he and Cole were destined to die just like their mother had.

Cam pulled his gaze back to Cole as he shifted in his sleep, tightening his grip on Cameron's bicep.

_Cole, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise._

Sam turned onto a well hidden dirt path and drove the car to front of what looked to Cameron like a dam, with doors. He sat up, waking Cole at the same time as he leaned over to get a better look at their new home.

"It doesn't look like much of house." He said to Sam.

Sam snorted, "It's bigger on the inside buddy." He said as he laughed.

"You guys can have your pick of the empty rooms, you don't even have to share one if you don't want to." Dean said as he turned to look at wide eyes of the two little boys.

They each nodded in turn and then grabbed their bags as they raced from the car.

Dean waited, somewhat impatiently, as Sam brought around a wheelchair and helped Dean into the hateful contraption. "Sam, I got this, you better go catch them before they end up as part of a crazy spell that were don't even know about."

Sam chuckled, but there was no humor in it as he turned and headed into the building. Dean started rolling his way up the ramp, his shoulder complaining loudly at the motion, now he knew that he probably should have let Sam push. Because this shit hurt like hell, and that was saying something since he had firsthand knowledge.

By the time he reached the door, he was sweating and his shoulder was on fire, but he had made some progress as far as he was concerned. He pushed the metal door open and rolled through, he was met with squeals of laughter from the room down the hall, the one that happened to be next to his own. He shoved the door closed and continued to roll toward the peals of laughter as quickly as his pain racked shoulder would allow him to. He wasn't prepared to see his sasquatch of a brother buried under two grinning little boys as they proceeded to pummel him with pillows and jump from one full sized bed to the other trying to escape his long arms.

Dean felt an unfamiliar pang of jealousy as he watched them from the doorway, he wished that he was able to rough house with the kids. He waited for them to notice that he was even there as they continued to play with their uncle Sam. His eyes took on a distant look as he remembered playing games like these with Sam when their father had left with strict instructions not to leave the motel room. Even though they never really knew why, it was up to Dean to keep Sammy occupied so that he would forget that they were under orders.

"Dean…" Sam coughed as he realized that his brother was watching their antics form the entryway, his face a mask of emotions. Dean's eyes reflected pain, concern, and finally an emotion that Sam had never seen directed at him before…jealousy. He stood and quickly extricated himself from between the kids and moved to his own brother looking a bit lost and extremely sad sitting in his wheelchair.

"Hey, the kids want to take this room, if that's okay with you?" he wondered that if he went ahead and let Dean have the final say, then maybe he would stop looking at Sam like a traitor.

Dean forced a smile and nodded his approval before he slowly wheeled himself out of the door and started rolling toward his own room.

Sam saw the grimace of pain as Dean reached down toward the wheel of his chair, _Shit, his fucking shoulder._ Sam realized with a sudden pang of guilt. He rushed to the back of Dean's chair and took over the propulsion as he called over his shoulder, "Guys, bedtime."

"Okay, night Sam…" Cameron called.

"Night dad." Cole called after them.

They rolled into Dean's room and Sam helped Dean out of the chair and onto the edge of his bed.

"Think he means that?" Dean whispered.

Sam leaned down to help remove the white slippers from Dean's feet, "Yeah, Dean. I think he does."

Dean nodded, "What about Cam?"

Sam heard the wistful quality of his brother's voice and his heart clenched for him, "Dean, he will get there. Just give him some time."

"Okay, thanks Sam."

Sam smiled and helped Dean changed and got him settled into the bed, handing him the pain meds that the doctor had insisted he take, or else he wouldn't sleep.

"Sam…thanks for saving them…and me." He managed around a large yawn as his eyes started to droop shut.

Sam leaned over and carded his long fingers through Dean's short blonde hair, "Always Dean.

TBC…

Author's Note: _So the boys are back in the 'cave' and the kids have arrived. Let the fun begin. The boys are going to start school and Sam and Dean will still have to try and work with Kevin on the gates of hell. It should be an interesting time._

_Thanks for the reviews, and again I'm so sorry for anyone that is upset over the death of CJ, it wasn't vindictive…I promise._

**Please review.**


	11. Domesticated and Complications

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

**_Rating T_**_: For language and injured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

**_Please review, it helps...trust me._**

**Chapter 11**

_Domesticated_

The twins had been living with Sam and Dean for three weeks now and the relationship was still strained between Dean and Cameron, but Cole was hanging on Dean's every word. Dean was walking, slowly and somewhat painfully, around the large cavernous rooms of the 'men of letters' lair. The twins had thought that the fact that Dean liked to call the place the bat cave was awesome, so they had both begun calling the place the same thing. Sam was currently watching Dean as he sat quietly at the table reading the newspaper; Sam was worried about his brother. Dean had been overly quiet since they had gotten back a few weeks earlier and he was withdrawing from the twins and Sam alike. This fact concerned Sam as he wondered about what was causing his bother to pull away. He knew about the blood thing, he knew that the death of the boy's mother was weighing heavily on Dean's sensitive heart. This existence of a heart was a fact that Dean tried desperately to hide from everyone, including Sam.

"Dean, you okay?"

Dean pulled bloodshot green eyes up and stared at Sam like he was only just realizing that his younger brother was in the room. "Huh? What Sam?"

Sam rolled his eyes and repeated his question, still getting a blank stare from Dean. He finally stood and walked over to glance at the paper that Dean had been staring at for the last 20 minutes.

"Anything good?" Sam eyed the pages and realized that Dean had been staring at the business section. His eyebrows rose and he padded Dean's shoulder, "Seriously? Business?"

"What? I'm trying to broaden my horizons." Dean responded without looking at Sam.

"Okay, but you've been broadening them on _that_ page for like, twenty minutes dude. What's going on with you?"

Dean wanted to lie to Sam, he wanted to tell him that there was nothing wrong with him, that he wasn't having nightmares of hell again, and that he wasn't scared to death that he was going to screw up these two boys beyond repair. He wanted to tell Sam that he wasn't jealous that Sam seemed have a better relationship with his own son's than he did. _Funny, I wonder if this is how dad felt about Bobby?_ He thought uncomfortably about the parallel. He wanted all of these things, and yet he had made Sam promise that there would be no more lies between them, so he told Sam the truth.

Sam sat and listened as his worry level rose, the most concerning thing that he heard was that the nightmares were back. Sam had enough of his own that he dealt with that he knew the signs and he knew that they didn't just stop once they have started.

Sam's eyes narrowed as he looked…really looked at Dean. He had lost weight, his eyes were dull and uninterested and he seemed to carry the weight of the world…again. Which was kinda funny since it was actually Sam that was responsible, this time, for the world's fate.

"Dean, I get it, I do. But you gotta snap out of this, you've got kids to keep track of now…speaking of the twins, where are they?" Sam noticed the unnatural silence in the halls, just before they heard a blood curdling scream echo through the corridors.

"CAM!" Cole's voice called hysterically from an unknown room.

Dean and Sam looked at each other for a split second before they were on their feet and moving in the direction of the cry. Sam moved at a sprint, while Dean shuffled along anger pulsing through him at his lack of physical health.

Sam arrived first; he stuttered to a halt and just stared in horror. Dean plowed into the back of his younger brother's broad back, with an involuntary "Oomph."

"The hell Sam." He said with exasperation, as he stepped carefully around Sam to see what had halted his brother's progress.

He crew in an audible breath as he stared at the glowing green light surrounding his oldest son, who was lying unconscious on the floor in the middle of the room. Cole was kneeling nest to Cameron, not daring to touch him, his small shoulders shaking as sobs racked his small frame, "No…Cam…you can't go…I already lost mom." His small voice nearly broke Dean and he limped the few feet and sank painfully to his knees beside the boy.

He reached a hand over and gently touched Cole's shoulder, "Cole, I need to know _exactly_ what happened?" Dean couldn't remove his eyes from the still form of his other son. He felt more than saw Sam step up and kneel on the other side of Cole.

Cole took a deep breath and answered, "We were just playing…he grabbed a long tube thing, pretend it was a sword I think, when I grabbed the end it…split and Cameron froze and fell down." His cries interrupted as he tried to continue. "He didn't move…dad. He looks like mom." Tears flowed freely down Sam's cheeks as he watched the boy deal with the consequences of playing with the supernatural.

"It'll be okay Cole, we'll figure it out and fix him. He's not going to die." Dean laid his hand back on Cole's shoulder and was surprised when the boy collapsed against him.

Sam was watching the whole thing with concern, he saw the small light was connecting the two boys, there was a thread that ran from Cameron to Cole, almost like something was feeding off both of their energies.

Sam looked closed and realized that the cylinder was still in Cameron's hand, and that Cole was kneeling very close to the other end.

"Dean, I think I know what this is." He stated as he stared in disbelief.

Dean looked up from the boy he was holding at his brother, hoping against hope that his too-smart little brother did know. "What?"

"A Mordrigal Cylinder."

Dean looked at Sam in question, "A what?"

"A Mordrigal Cylinder, it's a…connection device…a pathway to share energy. If one person is injured or hurt, it can transfer the healing energy from one soul to the other. But it only works with blood-relations or like…soul-mates. I think that it's feeding off both the boys, but since neither of them are hurt, it's pulling energy and it's overloading Cameron's system."

Dean looked at Sam with concern etched into his face, "What do we do Sam?" He continued to hold Cole, noticing that his youngest son was starting to fade. His eyes were drooping and his body was leaning heavily on Dean.

"Uh…" Sam said in defeat. "I'm not sure Dean."

"What the hell do you mean Sam…you're not sure…how the hell do we save them." He grated through is clenched teeth. His back was killing him in this position, and his feet were throbbing from the lack of blood and connection with the floor.

Sam's eyes took on a an almost terrified expression as it occurred to him that the cylinder had one purpose.

"It heals people Dean." He whispered as their path became clearer to him.

Dean still didn't understand where his brother was taking this, "Sam…break it down. What. The. Hell. Do. We. Do?"

Sam scrubbed his fingers through his long hair and blew out an exasperated breath, "We have to injure one of them."

Dean's eyes bugged out, "What?" he roared.

"Dean, calm down okay. It's the only way halt the energy transfer. If one of them is being healed, then it will do its job and disconnect when done." Sam felt like a rat, he knew that this was the worst thing that he could have told his brother. He was going to have to hurt his son's to save their lives. Suddenly some of the decisions that his own father had made where he and Sam were concerned made a lot more sense.

Dean's voice caught, "I…can't Sam…I can't do this." The anguish in Dean's usually strong voice was palpable and Sam's own soul cried out to his brother.

"I can Dean…I can do this." Sam's voice broke on Dean's name and he pulled in a shaky breath before he was able to continue.

Dean shook his head at Sam, "Sam, you are already too much…the trials, your physical state."

Sam nodded, he already knew how he felt, he didn't need Dean reminding him that he both felt and looked like road kill. "I can do this for you Dean." He said quietly.

Dean nodded, he felt Cole slump in his arms, he was now unconscious and his breathing was getting slow and falling into sync with Cameron's. A tear rolled from Dean's jade green eye and he looked at Sam with his answer plain on his face.

_Hurry Sammy, before I change my mind._

Dean hadn't been this scared since he had held his dying baby brother against his chest and felt him take a shuttering last breath and then slumping to the ground, forcing Dean to take his _dead weight._ The decision that night had been inevitable, he had never really had a choice, and he had later told Sam that he _couldn't live with him dead._ He couldn't let these boys die, and they no longer had Bobby to answer the hard questions, so Dean was trusting his son's to the knowledge of his brother. Interesting that the most important people in his life were relied upon one another and that he was going to have relinquish control.

Dean pulled his silver blade from his sheath and with a shaking hand he laid the blade into his brothers waiting palm.

"Dean, I'm so sorry." He whispered as he moved to the glowing child in the center of the floor, Sam reached down and gently picked up the kids right arm. His hand shook as he laid the blade against Cameron's wrist; he closed his eyes and pulled the razor sharp edge across the soft white skin.

Tears were now flowing freely down Dean's cheeks and they were matched by the tracks that lined his brother's face.

The blood blossomed on Cameron's flesh and dripped to the floor in a steady stream, Dean watched, helpless to stop it. Beside him, Cole convulsed and went rigged as blood blossomed on his own wrist. A line formed between the boys and the green light intensified over the injury, Cameron gasped and sat bolt upright, his eyes staring at nothing.

"Cameron." Dean called gently.

Cameron continued to ignore Dean and stare out into the blackness, suddenly he turned and looked directly at Cole, just as Cole sat up and turned toward his brother. They moved independently toward one another and touched the bloody wounds together. There was a brilliant green flash and then each of the kids collapsed, falling into each other in a boneless heap.

"Boys!" Dean cried as he pulled himself toward the twins.

Sam met him there and they each grabbed a child, pulling them into their chest, relieved to feel the steady breaths of both kids as they did so.

"Jesus Sam, this can't happen again." Dean chocked as he held one son and gripped the other one's hand.

Sam nodded, "I know. It won't Dean."

"Damn right it won't." Dean said forcefully. "They have to learn about this shit, so they can fight it, just like dad taught us."

Dean felt his soul shatter at the thought of taking their childhood, but he had no other options, this incident had proven that to him.

Sam knew his brother was right, but he mourned for the loss of their childhood, as he had never mourned for his own. He knew that Dean had never had a childhood, so the loss was doubly hard for him.

TBC…

**Author's Note:** _So what will this mean for the twins? They are going to start school in the next chapter, but now they will have to be trained and informed about the 'real world' that they lived in. Dean is going to have to deal with all the parental things that his father did, and the fact that Sam's health is deteriorating as the trials get closer._

_Plus, there is also still a coming confrontation with the mysterious black-eyed acquaintance that Matt mentioned earlier._

**Please review, if you have constructive ideas, or suggestions. **


	12. School, Training, and Winchesters

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

**_Rating T_**_: For language and injured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

**_Please Review, it makes me sit down and write_**

**Chapter 12**

_School, Training, and Winchesters_

First days are hard…first day of school in a new place, after your mom just died, with a father you barely know and the full knowledge that there were _real_ monsters in the world…well that just made the first day really freakin suck. Cameron was walking through the halls carrying his books as he looked for his next class. He glanced at his schedule and started looking for the auto-shop label on the doors of the rooms he was passing. It was the first time that he and Cole had had different course loads and therefor differing classes. Cole was smart…like stupid smart… the kid remembered everything that people told him, things that he saw and the numbers like there were written and laying in front of him to read.

Cameron inhaled as he thought of where his talents lie, he was good with electronics, he could hack a computer in no time flat and he had an affinity for engines. He understood on a basic level how they worked and how to fix problems that people seemed to miss as they scanned the surface and failed to look deep enough. Cameron was also good at math, he understood how numbers worked, they made sense, English…well that was his Achilles heel. He hated write, he just felt like he had nothing to say, it wasn't that he couldn't write, like he didn't understand the fundamentals or something, it just never felt natural or easy for him. Cameron had maintained a 4.0 GPA up until this past year, he was now starting into the 8th grade and the grades counted from here forward. It had been made painfully clear to him by his mother, that if he wanted to go to college, he was going to have to get a scholarship to help cover the cost. His thoughts stilted at the thought of his mother, it had been two months since she passed and it still hurt just as badly today as it had that day in the hospital.

Dean, his father, was a good guy, he tried, he really did; but Cam didn't want a replacement. He wasn't sure where that let left Dean, but he knew that he wasn't ready to just accept the guy as his only parent at this point. His brother on the other hand had jumped with open arms and heart at the man that they had only heard stories about since they were little. One of the biggest changes was their last name, they had grown up with Wilkin's and it had been changed as soon as their birth certificates were brought out in the courts. He had had to learn to write Winchester on his papers…and that had been really hard.

Cameron was walking slowly and not paying attention so he didn't see the kid that slammed into him, causing him to drop his books, watching helplessly as they spread across the tile floor.

"Seriously dude." Cam said as he breathed through the irritation.

The kid snickered and shoved Cam into the lockers, "Yeah…welcome to school nerd." Cameron exhaled loudly and pulled his eyes from the floor, fixing them on the bigger kid standing in front of him with a smirk plastered on his pudgy face. He had two friends that were laughing from either side of him.

"Leave me alone." He said simply as he leaned down to pick his books, the kid chuckled and shoved his booted heel into the small of Cameron's back shoving him head first into the lockers. Cam felt his face smash into the corner as he stumbled trying to catch his balance before he fell.

"Dweeb." The kid called as he moved toward Cameron, ready to push him again.

He never go the chance, Cameron pushed the pain in his cheek and jaw down and kneeled with one leg as he caught the kid and used his own body weight against him pulling him into a judo-roll and slamming the kid into the floor.

"Hey!" His friends called together as they moved to take out this kid who thought that he could mess with them. _Ironic._ It didn't really occur to them they had started this whole thing and Cameron was just defending himself.

The first kid threw a right punch and was surprised as Cameron ducked to the left and threw up a block, countering with his own strike to the solar plexus. The air flew from the kids lungs and he collapsed in a heap in the hall. Cameron's attention was on the two guys, he missed the third one that threw a kick, catching him in the kidneys and sending pain lancing through his back as he fell forward to his knees. He heard the movement behind him and shifted painfully as he anticipated the secondary blow, narrowly avoiding a second kick to his spine.

"What the hell do you think you're doing to my brother?" an enraged voice echoed through hall.

Cole came from the boys bathroom and moved with lightning speed in his brother's defense. He threw a combination of round houses and upper cuts at the boy trying to kick his brother in the back while he was down.

"Three against one…you son a bitch." He added as he watched the kid fall to floor, blood flowing freely from his nose.

"Next time, you might wanna make sure the kid you pick on doesn't have a twin." Cole yelled as the rage pulsed through him. He moved silently to his brother, watching as Cameron tried to pull himself to his feet; his knees buckling once before he accomplished the task. Cameron turned a grateful look at his brother, "Thanks Cole. I would'a had them if they hadn't snuck up on me."

Cole snorted, "You took out two and were well onto getting the third guy, I'm just glad you left something for me to do." Cole said as he grinned at his brother. He was concerned about the blood dripping from a cut on Cameron's right cheekbone and the limp as they turned to walk away.

"Stop right there, boys." A voice called from behind them, they turned to see Mr. Hannity, the history teacher walking quickly toward the mess of students still out of class long after the bell.

He immediately noticed the blood on Cameron's face and the three boys just now picking themselves up off the floor. "Okay, you boys need to come with me."

"Sir, they attacked my brother." Cole stated as he leaned down to grab Cameron's books.

"Save it Winchester, explain it to the principal. It's out of my hands once there's blood involved." The teacher looked genuinely sad as he waited for the boys to lead the way.

Cameron limped along beside his brother, "Geeze, they're gonna call Dean." He stated miserably.

Cole looked at him with confusion, "It's dad…Cameron, and yeah they are."

"I don't want him involved."

"Why?"

Cameron blew out a breath and pushed his fingers through his floppy brown hair and then rested the back of his hand on the cut, trying to wipe the blood away. "I just…I don't want him to get rid of is if we cause too many problems." His golden-green eyes were full of anguish at the thought; they had no one besides Dean and Sam.

Cole tilted his head and smiled at his brother, "Cam, they aren't going to just give us away. Haven't you seen the way that dad watches us? He wants us there. I think he's just scared of what could happen to us."

Cameron's eyes were unsure, but he nodded and followed the teacher through the door, where they were instructed to sit and wait.

XXXX

Dean's phone started vibrating on the table as he listened for a moment to ACDC's Highway to Hell on the ringtone before he snatched it up.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Winchester?"

Dean's heart flew into his throat as he remembered where he had seen that number before, the twin's school.

"Yeah, this is Dean." He answered in an even voice.

Sam's head snapped up at the change in his brother's tone, and he shot a silent question at Dean, furrowing his eyebrows when Dean shook his head and held up his hand telling Sam to wait.

"Uh, yeah, I can be there in like twenty minutes, is that good?" He inhaled sharply as he listened quietly.

Dean was still shaking his head in confusion as he flipped the phone closed.

Sam jumped immediately, "What the hell happened, Dean?"

"Uh, the twins got in a fight, with three other boys. They are at the principal's office; I have to go talk to the guy." Dean looked miserable at the prospect of meeting with the authority figure.

"You want me to come too Dean." Sam offered, and then he snorted as laughter bubbled up at the thought of Dean having to explain the pitfalls of 'fighting' to the twins. "You know dad would have keeled over laughing at the irony of this situation."

Dean smiled and grew thoughtful, "Yeah…I guess he would have."

Sam chuckled as they walked out to the Impala, he knew that he could have send Dean to deal with this on his own, but his brother could use the support and frankly Sam wanted to be as involved as he could be. He felt some extent it was almost like these two boys had gotten two dad's instead of one.

Dean was pretty silent the entire the ride, he never even flicked on the radio blaring his classic rock at Sam, he was thinking about how he was going to handle this. He knew that he needed to be stern with the kids and he needed to deal that fact that they couldn't draw this type of attention because it wasn't as though they would be moving next week like he and Sam had. This was where the boys would be in school for the next four years, so they needed to fit in and not be known as thee school trouble makers. This task was going to be more difficult since the first impression on the first day was important and the boys had just royally screwed that up.  
"Sam, do think I…am going to be any good at this?" Dean asked the question as he glanced sideways at his brother looking for an honest answer.

Sam drew his eyebrows together in contemplation, he knew what Dean was doing, "Dean, you raised me. Dad didn't do that and I turned out fine. You know what you're doing and you know how to deal with this type of thing." He looked away for a moment before continuing. "I think you just need to accept that this is going to be hard, you are going to make mistakes with them and just be okay with that." Sam smiled at Dean.

Dean turned his head slightly and looked at his brother, he knew that Sam was right, but he was scared, like honestly and truly scared he was in way over his head. He felt kinda like he had when he had come back from hell and Cas had told him about the apocalypse and that he was the only one that could stop it since he was the one that broke the first seal. He hadn't felt strong enough, or prepared for that either and the mistakes had been epic. Dean had nearly lost Sam in the process and the entire world as a result and the fact that these were his sons just made it so much worse.

They pulled up in front of the school and Dean climbed carefully from the car, he was still leaning on a cane to avoid the full pressure on his feet and the still healing skin on his back was twitching from being leaned against the leather seat during the ride. Sam crawled out as well and lifted his arms above his head and stretched, turning to Dean and offering a smile of support.

"Okay." Dean said and started limping toward the office.

Dean was surprised to see the boys sitting outside the office in chairs, Cameron was holding an ice pack to his right eye and was sitting slumped in the chair as if in pain. He limped over and placed a hand on Cameron's shoulder, "You okay Cameron?"

Cameron glanced up at his father, he thought about pushing the hand away in irritation, but he squelched that idea when he saw the raw concern in his dad's green eyes.

Cameron nodded slowly, "Yeah, are we in trouble?"

Dean raised his brows and snorted, "Well that kinda depends on what the principal says and if you started the fight, or just ended it."

"Mr. Winchester, can I speak with you in my office please?" a short pudgy balding man asked from the door way.

Dean nodded and looked to Sam, who was leaning over talking with Cole quietly. He stood and walked over standing next to Dean, "Sir, this is my brother he is helping me with the boys, so he should be in there for this."

The mad nodded curtly and gestured for them to enter his office.

XXXX

The ride home was stilted and quiet, Dean wanted to yell at the twins, but after hearing the story from the teacher, he couldn't. Because honestly, he would have done the exact same thing…and had on several occasions so there was no way that he could get angry with them for doing what he would. But he did need to have a conversation with them about the 'staying of the radar' thing. The boys were chatting quietly in the back seat, they had each gotten a warning and three days of detention, but they hadn't gotten expelled and they hadn't gotten suspended.

They pulled into the parking spot outside the lair and Cole jumped out running to catch up with Sam, who was already striding toward the door. Dean and Cameron were both slowly getting out and steadying themselves on their injured bodies.

"Dean, I'm really sorry." He said in almost a whisper.

Dean turned and looked at his boy, he looked miserable like he was expecting to be raked over the coals for today's incident.

Dean scrubbed his hand over his face and turned to the boy, "Cameron, I'm not mad that you defended yourself, I would have too. And frankly I'm proud of Cole for stepping when he did, but the life we lead…we can't afford for people to ask many questions and stuff like this." He sighed, "All it does is bring up questions." Cameron nodded and hung his head in shame, Dean inhaled a sharp breath, he had seen that look in the mirror a hundred times growing up. He knew the pressure that Cam was putting on himself as the oldest.

Dean reached out and gently placed his hand on Cam's shoulder, "Look, it's over and done as far as I'm concerned, just maybe try not to fight in the hall next time. Try under the bleachers there's less chance that a teacher will catch you." He squeezed Cameron's shoulder and smiled.

Cameron's golden-green eyes shot up at the humor he heard in his father's voice and he looked at the forgiveness and the understanding that he saw there and for the first time he felt connected to Dean. He smiled slightly and nodded as Dean's hand slid off is shoulder and they limped into the lair together.

TBC…

Author's Note: _So the next chapter will reveal the identity of the man Matt talked about and the fact that he does know about the boys and he is coming for them. Soon._

**Please review it helps, I promise.**


	13. Unfinished Business

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

**_Rating T_**_: For language and injured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

**_Please Review_**

**Chapter 13**

_(Unfinished Business)_

Things had fallen into an easy daily routine, the twins went to school and Sam and Dean continued to look talk with Kevin about the prospect of closing hell. Dean was pleased with how well they all seemed to be doing, he had taken the twins for their first tattoo, with Sam tagging along and making 'peanut gallery' comments as they had whined about the selected anti-possession tattoo and it's placement on the chest. Dean had explained the incident with Sam from some years earlier, although he left out some of the gorier details, like Wandell's death and the fact that Sam had shot him in the shoulder while possessed. Not so much because he minded the twin's knowing how dangerous it was out there, but because he wanted to protect Sam from having to experience that whole thing again.

They had been living together for almost four months now, Dean was pretty much back to normal, he started running a few weeks prior, so was a little sore, but not really in too much pain. Cameron had taken to going along in the mornings before school, while Cole preferred to hit the weights with Sam and then the mats with Dean after school and before he did his homework. Dean was constantly on Cole about the homework, while Cameron was self-motivated, much as Sam had been when he was that age. Dean knew that it was slightly hypocritical at this point, but he knew what happened when you didn't take it seriously and the last thing that he wanted was for his son's to be limited with regards to their future. Because the idea that they stay in the 'family business' was just awful as far as he was concerned. Dean had wanted a different future when he a was younger, but as he had grown up he had known that was never going to happen for him, so he had stopped trying and stopped fighting his future.

Things were moving smoothly for the Winchesters and that should have been their first clue that something big was coming down the line.

Dean had gone to the store when Sam got the call, "Sammy Winchester, so glad you haven't changed your number, but you really don't do that do you?"

Sam was confused by the voice, it was Crowley… "How the hell did you get my number Crowley?"

"Uh, king of Hell remember Sam, not that hard to get a simple phone number." His English accent popping through Sam's phone dripping with sarcasm.

"What do you want Crowley?" he asked, his own voice tight and low.

"Not much, kinda already got what I want, I just need to make an exchange…or sorts."

"Why would I give you anything?" Sam snapped into his phone, scrubbing a hand over his face in frustration. He hated it when he got phone calls like this, particularly since the last one led to him almost losing Dean…_Oh shit…where is Dean?"_ The thought occurred to Sam and sent his heart rate racing.

"You don't have anything we want Crowley." Sam bit out.

"Well, I wouldn't be too sure Sam. You see I'm watching a certain older Winchester at this very moment…and he seems very alone and somewhat vulnerable to me." Crowley's voice was smooth and even as he threw a monkey wrench into Sam's plan of hanging up on the demon.

"You leave him the hell alone Crowley!" Sam seethed and turned walking in circles as he tried to come up with a plan.

"That can be arranged, but I need something from you Sam…and those cute little boys that are running around your place." Sam sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly.

"No." He answered simply.

"You don't even know the terms Sam." Crowley added as he continued to bate Sam into the conversation.

"I don't need to know Crowley, the answer is no, you're not getting any blood from those boys…over my dead body." Crowley groaned at that.

"Yes, you Winchesters are a bit a hard to kill…well get you to stay dead anyways."

Sam interrupted him, "Whatever your plan…it isn't going to happen. So just leave Dean alone and move on Crowley."

"Oh moose, you make smile, I get you make all the girls smile, right? Here's thing gigantor, I need your blood, not a lot, just a vile worth and I want you to bring it to me…tonight. If you do, I'll leave your precious older brother alone, if you don't I'll make what Matt did, look like a walk in the park. You saw what I did Samadrial, the angel, that'll be nothing compared to what I do to Dean…Oh and when I finally allow him to die, he won't be going upstairs, I'll make sure of that.'"  
"You don't have that kind of power Crowley." Sam spat, his anger bubbling inside him like a pot of water.

"Are you really willing to take that chance Sam." Crowley purred and then Sam's phone beeped with a new text message. Sam felt his heart slam into his throat as he was reminded of a few months ago, he couldn't go through that again.

"Take a look Sam, get back with…sooner rather than later please." And the line went dead.

Sam's hands were shaking as he pulled his phone from his ear and gulped when he pressed the button for the message, and there it was, the picture of his brother exiting the store, bags thrown over each arm and a smiling Crowley in the background where Dean couldn't see him.

"Damn-it!" Sam swore, hanging his head in frustration. He knew he should call Dean, but he was certain that if he did, then he was going to be in deep shit for not hanging up on the demon immediately. Sam couldn't, no he wouldn't risk his brother being sent back to Hell. He knew that this time whatever crawled out of there wouldn't be his brother, it would be something else. He felt his eyebrows draw together in anger that he was being manipulated by Crowley and based on how he was currently feeling, that damn demon was succeeding in making him question the decision of bringing his brother into the loop.

Sam was caught in his own thoughts so he missed the entrance of Cole and the boy walked up and placed a hesitant hand on Sam's arm, "Sam? You okay?" he asked quietly.

Sam's eyes spun and landed on the boy looking at him in concern, green eyes looking so like Dean's that Sam gulped audibly to control the flood of emotions that were running through him. Somehow that damn demon had sent him back 4 ½ years to that house where the hell hounds had ripped his brother apart in front of him. Then dragging his soul, kicking and screaming to Hell and there had been nothing that Sam could do to save him, except that this time there was. He schooled his expression to one that was more calm, pushing down the horrific images that were playing through his head as he stared at the boy, "Yeah, I'm okay Cole, just a little tired. I think I might need some coffee."

Cole looked at his uncle and knew instantly that Sam was lying to him, but he was unwilling to bring back the terrified expression that had been on Sam's face when he had entered the room. So he nodded instead and gently patted Sam's arm, we could get some when Dad gets back?" his voice was so hopeful that Sam nodded almost instantly. He knew that Dean would never let him go out alone unless he had a really good reason, so if he was taking Cole to town for something and some coffee, then Dean might just let it slide. His brother was getting more and more protective the more he noticed Sam's reactions to the trials and so he wasn't taking anything for granted.

Sam's phone beeped at him again, another message, he was really starting to hate text messages. He pressed the button and sucked in a breath of air as another picture of Dean was shot at him, along with a message.

"You're taking too long Sam…"  
Dean was being held by a demon, his arms locked behind his back the demon killing knife nowhere in sight, and then Sam remembered that Dean hadn't taken the thing this time. He had left it with Sam, since Sam had the twins with him. Dean's eyes were furious and he was spitting mad, but there was also a little terror in his face and that made Sam furious.

He raked his hand through his long hair in anger and stared at the boy standing next to him.

"Sam, what's going on?" Cole asked in a small voice.

Sam wanted to protect them from this, but he knew better they had learned that over the years of dealing with the supernatural. "Demons are messing with us again, they are trying to use Dean to get me to do something."

Cole looked down and his eyes were suddenly filled with fear, "Are they going to kill dad?"

Sam knelt down in front of the boy placing his hands on his shoulder to emphasize his next words, "No Cole, they are not going to kill Dean, I won't let them."

His phone beeped one more time and Sam nearly threw the damn thing, "Oh my god, what…" he breathed through clenched teeth. He opened the message and his rage built instantly. Because there was Dean strapped to a metal chair, unconscious, though he didn't appeared injured to Sam, and a man with demon/black eyes in the back ground, arms crossed and staring meaningfully at his brother's back. The message read, "_Tick Tock Sam, sorry not the patient type. Guess we'll hang on to Dean while you figure this out Sam. Love Crowley_."

XXXX

Dean felt the syringe slide into his neck as the demon holding him tightened his grip and wrenched his arms further behind causing Dean to gasp in pain. _Freakin demons, why can't they just go to Hell and stay there?_

His vision blurred and his knees buckled as he was enveloped in darkness, just as his vision went black he saw Crowley step into his field of view, and instantly Dean knew that they were in trouble.

He woke to find himself tied to a very uncomfortable metal chair, he panicked a little when he realized he couldn't move. This was a little too much like the Matt situation, except that he knew that demons had him.

"So Dean, Crowley says hi." A man said from behind him and he was again reminded of his last experience and had to swallow his rising fear.

"Tell Crowley to back to Hell." He spat and tried to twist to see who was behind him.

"Now that's not very nice Winchester." The man said. "Crowley just needs a little cooperation from Sam and probably those twins of yours."

Dean's heart jumped into his throat as he closed his eyes in denial, _Oh God, I'm being used as a pawn again, sonuvabitch._

"I don't know what you're talking about." He was careful to control the unsteady tremble in his voice as he answered.

"Now Dean, It's not a good idea to lie." The demon stepped around the front and into Dean's view, and damn…the guy was fricken huge. _What do they have a website for these guys?_ He thought as he looked at the large man staring at him in irritation.

"Do all the black clouds hang out at the gym? Or is it just you?" Dean snarked at the demon, trying to stall for time. He knew that Sam would have been expecting him back by now, and that Crowley probably had already contacted him about Dean. The demon smiled and then sent a meaty fist flying in Dean's face, his head snapped back as pain shot through his right cheekbone and he grunted as he felt blood spill instantly from his nose and lip.

"No more back talk Winchester." The voice stated, _great there are two of them, just peachy._

Dean laughed, "Really? No back talk, boy, you haven't dealt with us before have you? Just get of Hell and this is your first assignment, don't screw up."

Another fist connected with Dean's head causing it to spin to the left and the pain to intensify on the right side, he felt his eye socket as the knuckled dug in as the demon put more behind this punch.

"You should really just learn to be quiet. Your pretty face wouldn't suffer so much."

Dean spat blood onto the ground and waited for the stars to stop popping in front of his eyes before he continued, "Seriously, guy…what do want?" he grumbled.

"Blood, Dean…it's always about the blood." The voice answered slowly.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Who's blood?" he asked like the demon was stupid. Dean was rewarded with another blow to his head, this time from the left and sending his face sailing in the other direction as the pain was equalized between cheeks.

"Sonuvabitch." Dean swore and blinked a few times trying to clear the dazed sense that he was getting from the head shots.

"Your blood, your brothers blood for sure, but the kicker is that sweet little two for one deal you got going on in those cute little twins. Now that blood, that _is_ worth something."

"You touch then and I will send you back to Hell myself." Dean snarled.

"I'm sure you'll try, but how are going to do that when I have them as collateral. After all we already got their mother, so how are you going save them when you can't even save yourself. I mean seriously, I got you before and damn if you weren't just as easy to get to again." The voice mocked.

Dean's heart thudded as he recognized where he had heard this voice before, "No, we burned your bones, there's no way…"

"Dean, I'm a witch, a really powerful witch, one with totally awesome connections in Hell, and well you did burn my body, but I just got another when they let me out. I like my own voice, plus you wouldn't have recognized this guy's he's like british…I think."

"Matt…" Dean breathed in defeat, oh God he was back with Matt and he was back for the twins.

TBC…

**Authors Note:** _So yeah, REALLY bad guys aren't so easy to get rid of, and this one just kept screaming to come back and get a second shot at the Winchesters. Who was I to deny him, so story twist, for those of you that might be worried, yes this is going somewhere…with a conclusion at some point. But I will not be killing off either Winchester, because I don't do major character death and I'm not killing off the boys, because I like them too much they are fun to write and they need to kick some ass before this thing is over, Updates very soon, like before Sunday soon._

**Please review they make me feel guilty for leaving you readers hanging...so I write faster.**


	14. Discoveries and Explanations

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

**_Rating T_**_: For language and injured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. At this point the story should mostly follow cannon, but as always I reserve the right for that to change if the story goes there._

**_Please Review it makes me sit down and write_**

**Chapter 14**

_(Discoveries and Explanations)_

_There was no way that Crowley would have just let a soul go, so Matt must have struck one hell of deal with the demon_, Dean thought as he sat tied to the metal chair waiting for _God knows what he has planned for me._

Matt and the other demon had left several hours ago, and Dean was still tied to the same damn chair in the same damn position and _sonuvabitch_ if his ass wasn't killing him from sitting this long. His legs were numb, back hurt like hell, and he was not looking forward to the moment when the blood flow came back. Dean hated to be left alone with his thoughts, a lot of people would have probably questioned whether or not he had many of them, but his mind was constantly battered with ideas and regrets. Sam would have probably laughed at that, but in reality Dean was a hell of a lot smarter than people gave him credit for. Honestly it took an immense amount of effort to practically fail all your classes when you knew the correct answers the whole time.

Dean wondered what Matt wanted and he wondered what Crowley had in store for them, he knew that both of them wanted the blood of the twins and he would die before he let that happen.

War was horrendous and the toll that this demon war was taking on Dean and Sam was reaching epic proportions. Dean hated that he knew that he was never going to get to have a normal life, Sam had tried and failed, twice, and unfortunately his boys weren't going to have much of one either. His head hung as the weight of this settled in for the long haul. At least with CJ they had had a shot at 'normal'; now… they were just as damned as Sam and himself.

"I see that you're _thinking_ there, Dean…I hope you don't damage anything." Matt's voice said from behind Dean.

"Screw you." Dean said as he lifted his head and looked for the man that had totally screwed his son's lives up.

"I just wanna know why?" Dean asked, turning his head to see the figure of a man he didn't know step around into the light.

"Why? What…why did I killed CJ? Or why did I stay with them for all these years." Matt asked as his borrowed body squatted down in front of Dean.

"All of it." Dean said through gritted teeth.

The man's lips pulled back in a sneer and he settled in and stared Dean right in the eyes, deep brown eyes meeting brilliant emerald green in silent challenge.

"When your father killed that ghost in Malad all those years ago, he never considered that maybe that particular ghost was there because she had a son…" Matt's eyes narrowed and he stood slamming his fist into Dean's face, causing fresh blood to spurt from Dean's nose and to re-split his lip, bright red blood flowing down his chin and dripping onto his shirt blending in with the black cotton. "It never occurred to him that she was trying to protect her child; he just saw a monster and he struck."

"She was killing people." Dean said around the pain him his jaw and the throbbing in his nose.

Matt swung again and this time he had Dean seeing stars and black spots.

"She was protecting me…and your father….killed her for it." Matt punctuated the statements with swings of his fists that had Dean's head snapping from left to right in quick succession. "And now…I'm going to kill you and Sam." He switched arms and swung a meaty fist into Dean's ribs causing Dean to "Oomph." in pain. "And those boys…they are going to serve a purpose and then I'm going to send them straight to Crowley, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars." Matt stopped and leaned over to stare into Dean's blurry vision, "Because that…was _his_ price for bringing me back."

Dean struggled to manage the dizziness that was thumping through his head and the nausea that was settling in his stomach at the thought of the boys in Crowley's possession. "No…" he muttered as the full realization of that statement settled on his soul.

"Oh, don't worry Dean…you'll see them again, it'll just be in Hell." Matt purred in Dean's ear before he stood up and moved from Dean toward the back of the room. "Enjoy waiting Dean…because Sam is already on his way…with Cameron and Cole. Ta ta Dean." The voice faded from room.

"No! No no no no no no." Dean muttered over and over, his voice raising in pitch as he struggled against the ropes holding him in place.

XXXX

Sam looked in the back seat of the Impala at the two boys sitting quietly staring out the windows as the terrain passed in a blur of darkness. He knew that Dean was probably going to kill him for bringing them, but he had no one to leave them with and he didn't think that leaving them unprotected in the bunker was any better than bringing them where he could keep a closer eye on them. The picture of Dean strapped to that damn chair kept playing through his head and Sam prayed that Dean wasn't being tortured again. He wasn't sure that Dean would make it through that twice, the first time had been so difficult and he had barely started to move past the nightmares, again.

"Sam?" Cameron's small voice interrupted his thoughts, "Is dad gonna be okay?"

Sam started at Cameron's use of the word 'dad', the boy hadn't really called Dean that, only Cole had been on board with the term. Sam's eyes looked into the rearview mirror connecting with the golden eyes of his nephew, "Yes, Cameron. We're going to get him out and he's going to be okay." Cameron nodded and looked down, before bringing his eyes back to Sam's.

"Are we going to be okay?" he whispered.

Sam inhaled sharply before he answered, the question catching him off guard slightly. "Yeah, you are…I promise." Sam said.

"Okay." The boy said before returning to his silence and started staring out the window again.

Cole was leaning against the opposite window; his head turned slightly as he listened to the conversation between his brother and his uncle. He was intensely concerned since he had been with Sam when the freakin demon called and he knew that they were heading into what was likely a trap for them all.

The fact that the demons now had the Winchesters figure out was not a good thing. They knew if they took one of them, then they could get the other's to do what they wanted…that was a pretty big tactical advantage for the other side. While they had been studying with their mom's teacher they had been required to learn tactics and how to apply them in a combat type scenario. Not that that was going to serve them well here, they knew they didn't have the upper hand, but they were going in anyways…because that was what Winchester's do…according to Sam and their dad. The boy's brow furrowed as he thought of all the potentially awful ways this night could end.

"Cole, stop thinking to loud, you're giving _me_ a headache." Cameron said as he playfully punched his brother in the shoulder.

Cole turned to look at Cam, "Sorry, I'm just worried."

Cam smiled and nodded, "Yeah, me too." He said and patted Cole's shoulder in support.

Sam listened to the two boys interact and once again he was surprised by their level of maturity relative to their ages. The boys were going to be turning 14 in a few weeks, and Sam was determined to make sure that they did. He was also determined to make sure that their father was there to see it. He pulled into an abandoned garage and parked the Impala, waiting for the boys to silently exit the vehicle.

"Okay." He whispered as he hand each boy a .45 pistol. "These are loaded, I know your mom taught you gun handling and safety, just please remember what she told you. Don't shoot unless you _know_ what you are shooting at and don't shoot each other accidentally or me. Because your dad will kill all of us." The boys nodded and took the offered weapons, each one seating a bullet in the chamber and lowering the 'business' end of the weapon toward the floor, fingers off the triggers as they had been taught.

Sam nodded satisfied that they seemed to know what they were doing. He knew that his brother was probably going to kick his ass for this, but he really needed the back up and they were the only ones he trusted right now. The twins were as well trained as he and Dean had been at the same age, they just hadn't had to kill any monsters…yet.

"Okay, did your mom talk about silent communication with you?" he asked quietly.

Cameron nodded, "Hand signals?"

"Yes." Sam answered.

"Yup, we learned those a while ago." Cole chimed in.

"Good, no more talking out loud, tap if you see something and watch for signals for movement." Sam took a deep breath and headed into the darkness, feeling the boys trailing behind him in close proximity.

Sam slid along the walls, careful to avoid any 'fatal funnels' where they could get ambushed by the demons that he knew were there somewhere.

He heard voices and raised his fist in the universal sign to halt, the boys instantly froze and dropped into a crouched position mimicking Sam's movements.

Sam listened carefully, he heard Dean's voice, it sounded slightly slurred but at least he was alive and well enough to make snarky comments so that was a good sign. Sam flattened his hand, silently telling them to stay put. He moved quietly into the room, slipping his large frame along the edges of the light in the center of the room. Sam was grateful to see his brother in the center, the demons had obviously worked him over as he was bleeding pretty good and his face was covered in blood, cuts, and bruises…but he was conscious and alive.

A man was standing close to Dean's shoulder, he was saying something that Sam couldn't hear but based on Dean's increased struggles, Sam assumed he was threatening Dean's family. Threatening a Winchester's family was the quickest way to piss them off and Dean looked royally pissed off at the moment. His lips were pulled back from his teeth in anger and his eyes were spitting bullets at the man.

"Come on out Sam. I know your there." The man stated as he looked directly where Sam was hiding in the shadows.

"Shit." Sam breathed as he debated whether or not to reveal himself.

"I can use your brother to pull you out if I need to, but I'd rather you just come out on your own." The man lifted his fist and opened his palm extending it toward Dean, suddenly Dean twisted as much as the chair the restraints would allow and a scream of pain was ripped from his throat as fire shot through his nerve endings.

Sam was started at the ferocity of the attack and the nature of it, the man hadn't touched Dean, but Dean was in pain that much was obvious.

Sam pulled himself from his spot, stepping into the light. "Stop it…just stop." Sam said through clenched teeth.

The man smiled evilly at Sam and immediately closed his fist, Dean slumping in relief as the pain lessened.

"Hello Sam, I don't think we've ever been properly introduced. I'm Matt." Matt waited for a response from the younger brother.

Confusion raced across Sam's feature before he could school them into a blank look. "Your dead." Sam said simply.

Matt smiled, "Witch…Sam…powerful witch."

_Well that explains the hand thing that caused that much pain in Dean_…Sam thought as he stared at the man in defiance.

"What the hell? Are you working with Crowley?" he asked, anger flaring in his chest.

"Gold star Sam. You are the smarter of the two brothers aren't you. I had to explain it to your idiot brother."

"Don't call him that." Sam seethed.

"Why? It's true. He's lucky that he was able to sire such brilliant children, because the apple sure fell far from the tree." Matt stated as he reached a finger under Dean's chin and lifted it ensuring that he was listening.

Dean's eyes fixed on Sam's and he knew that the shit the man was saying was getting to his brother. Dean looked beaten, not so much physically, although he was, but mentally, the guy was messing with his head.

"You don't know anything about my brother, so shut the hell up!" Sam yelled, losing his temper at last.

"Hmm." Matt stated and suddenly Sam found himself sailing backward until he was slammed into the wall behind him. His fingers losing his grasp on the hand gun and unable to move as he lost motor control.

"Sam…I'm a witch, therefor more powerful that you guys…and I'm going to really enjoy killing you." He moved toward Sam, twisting a knife between his fingers as he did so. Sam watched in concern as Dean chose that moment to look up again, his face changing in an instant from pain to rage.

"Leave him alone you sonuvabitch!" he cried as he started struggling again.

"Dean we had so much fun last time, I just don't want Sammy to feel left out." Matt said as he ran blade down Sam's chest, spitting his shirt and slicing into the skin just deep enough to cause bleeding.

"Jesus…" Sam breathed as the cut caught him off guard. "It's Sam, so prick." He said through clenched teeth.

Matt smiled and turned to look at Dean, who was struggling against his ropes like an animal, "I'd heard of the connection between you two, but I hadn't thought it was actually that good anymore…not after Dean's little Hell trip and that whole demon bitch thing. I guess I was wrong." He said as he tilted his head and leaned into Sam again, this time running the knife's blade down Sam's ribcage, again slicing deeply, Sam groaned but refused to cry out.

XXXX

Cameron heard the cries of both his father and his uncle from around the corner he stared at Cole, the ear evident of both their faces. "Cole, we had to do something." He whispered as he heard Dean yell again, the words lost in a grunt of pain.

Cole nodded his agreement, "plan?" he asked quietly.

Cameron looked at the guns and then he wondered whether or not the rounds would work on the demon or whatever the hell had them held hostage in the other room. He remembered the knife that Sam had in his belt, the one with the weird writing and the bone handle. "Cole, remember that weird knife Sam had?"

Cole nodded.

"Do you know if he brought it?"

Cole's eyes narrowed in thought and then he widened them as he remembered that Sam had handed that knife to him just before entering the room where Dean was. He pulled it out and handed it to Cameron without hesitation. Cameron grinned a plan formulating in his head. They were all getting out of here alive, and they were gonna kill that asshole once and for all.

TBC…

**Author's Note:** _Sam was getting away pretty lightly in the story and I wanted the boys to be the ones that save the day…they earned that. The next chapter is gonna be bumpy so be ready. _

**Please review it makes me sit down and write. **


	15. Resolution and New Beginnings

_Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit._

**_Rating T_**_: For language and injured Dean and possibly Sam throughout the story._

_This story does not contain slash just good old brotherly love. If you like the story please review it, I have not had this Beta'd and am new to this experience, please keep this in mind when reviewing. _

**_Please Review_**

**Chapter 15**

_Resolution and New Beginnings_

Dean watched in horror as the knife slid down Sam's chest and the red bloomed on his brother's skin, running in rivulets down his stomach and collecting in his waistband of his jeans. "Stop!" he called from his position in the chair. This had to stop he couldn't watch the sit bastard torture Sam, Dean just didn't have that in him. He hadn't thought to ask his brother where the boys were yet, and as that occurred to him he wanted to throw up. He knew that chances were Sam had brought them with him, who could he have left them with if he hadn't? _No one that's who._ The whole scene was making Dean not only angry was pissed as hell too. He and Sam were once again being punished for things that their father had done and there wasn't a damn thing that they could do about it.

Worse was the fact that his sons were going to have to share in the responsibility as well and they hadn't even been born. _This just blows._ He thought as he shifted again in his chair, the blood flow still limited to his legs and the dizziness in his head ebbing a little so he could focus easier.

He was seriously getting tired of this idiot's monologuing, he freaking hated it when the bad guys wanted to explain everything. "Seriously…whatever you're gonna do could you just get on with it, because I'm tired of listening to you blab." Dean stated and rolled his eyes at Matt. He was hopeful that it would take the attention off of Sam; he got his wish when Matt cam striding purposefully toward him with the knife held carefully to his side.

"Dean Dean Dean…what am I gonna do with you?" he asked as he twirled the blade in his fingers.

Dean narrowed his eyes in contempt, "Honestly, couldn't care less."

Matt smiled and leaned in with the blade, he ran along Dean's chest creating a mirror image to the bloody cut on Sam's chest. "I think you should share the blood."

Dean looked up slightly and was surprised to see movement behind Matt, the twins were slowly sneaking over to where Sam was struggling silently against the wall. Dean understood what was happening here, if he could keep Matt's attention on him and get the guy angry enough then he would lose control of the spell holding Sam. Once that happened then Sam could take the…_Was that the demon killing knife I just saw?_ He questioned himself silently. Then Sam could take that blade and kill this sad sack of shit once and for all and hopefully they could get out of there before Crowley figured out what the hell was going on and came for them all.

Dean inhaled sharply as he saw the boys approach Sam, he turned his attention back to the psycho in front of him, "So Matt…we killed your mom, well my daddy killed your mama, so what? You need to just get over that and move on man." Dean's toned was light and even he thought it was obnoxious, so he knew that Matt would be pissed off by it as well.

Matt's expression shifted to one of rage as his face turned red and his eyes bugged out of his 'borrowed' head. He leaned into Dean and slammed the knife into Dean's thigh, causing Dean to cry out at the unexpected pain. "_Sonuvabitch!_" he spat out as burning pain erupted in his leg.

XXXX

Sam watched his brother draw the attention of the witch from Sam to himself, his face reflecting his concern for Sam as he did so. This was how Dean had dealt with the yellow-eyed demon all those years ago as well. Once that asshole had determined that he wanted to screw with Sam, Dean had done everything in his power to piss the demon off and the draw that anger back on himself. Sam sighed in sadness that once again Dean was willing to sacrifice himself for his family.

Movement to his right caught his attention and Sam looked to see the twins, carefully watching Matt, sliding toward him along the wall. Cameron was carrying the demon-killing knife and was looking intently into Sam's face trying to convey the plan. Sam focused around the pain in his chest, trying to understand what the boys were planning and how he was involved. He wanted to cheer once he realized that not only were they in on the plan so was Dean, he felt the hold on him slip as Dean continued to taunt the witch. Quickly Sam found that he was free of the hold, the boys reached him and carefully slid the knife into his outstretched hand. Cameron nodded at Sam in support and then they both slipped behind Sam as he moved silently toward the man currently trying to turn his brother into a thanksgiving turkey. The bastard was _carving_ into Dean's chest, Dean bit his tongue and gritted his teeth to keep from crying out in pain, but Sam could it all.

Sam was just about to the man's back when he plunged the knife into Dean's leg and his brother could no longer hold back his screams, the sound that was ripped from his throat was too similar to the one's from the night with the hell hound more than five years earlier. Sam froze at the sound, instantly transported back to that hellish moment. He shook his head and grabbed Matt by the shoulder, pulling him back onto the knife and plunging it into his heart from the back.

"That's for CJ, you bastard!" Sam whispered in a harsh whisper.

Matt stepped away and then turned to look Sam in the eyes, his gaze then flickering to the twins, just behind their uncle. Each one wore an expression of both anger and sadness. This man had been their father for most of their lives, and they had just put the knife in his back, sorta. Well they had given the knife to the man that had plunged it into his back.

Cameron looked Matt square in the eyes and then he looked at his brother, "For mom." He said quietly, Cole tilted his head and then nodded, "For mom." He whispered.

Sam placed the knife back in his waistband, just as Matt collapsed to the floor, the life now draining from the borrowed body along with the light that had been in Matt's eyes.

Sam turned immediately to Dean, who was slumped forward in the chair, his head hanging down and his eyes closed.

"Dean!" Sam cried and rushed to Dean's side; he pulled the knife out and cut the ropes holding Dean in place. His brother immediately slumped forward and Sam gently caught him, his own cuts stinging painfully in the process. "Geeze Dean, you're too freakin heavy dude." Sam complained as he carefully lowered Dean to the floor, this would let him get a better view of the injuries.

The good news was that they were not as severe as they had been the last time Sam had found his brother after being in Matt's company. Sam sat back up, "Cameron, can you bring me my shirt please?"

Cameron quickly moved to pick up the discarded piece of clothing, running to hand it to Sam. He took it gratefully and then placed it against his own wound, soaking up some of the blood.

Sam then leaned over Dean and placed his fingers on his brother's neck, he was thrilled to find the strong steady thrum on Dean's heart beat and the warm puffs of air that indicated that he was breathing fine. Sam then looked over at Cole and Cam, "Out in the Impala, trunk, there's a big first aid kit…can you go bring it to me?" He tossed the keys to Cole as the boys both nodded and took off out of the room.

Dean moaned jus then and started moving, his eyes peeking out from beneath his eyelids, "Sammy? You okay?" he asked quietly, hissing as the pain in his chest and leg mixed with the pain in his head. Sam looked at Dean, really looked at him and he was surprised to see the same expressions there that he had always seen, concern, worry, fear, anger, and love. Sam wondered sometimes about the last one, he knew that he and Dean had been on and off for the last couple of years, but he was glad to see that that one thing hadn't changed.

"Yeah, dude. I'm good." Sam patted Dean on the shoulder. "We gotta stop meeting like this." He chuckled as he watched Dean turn his head and catch the body of Matt in his peripheral vision.

One side of Dean's lips curled up into a smile, "Yeah…people are going to start to talk." He reached out and patted Sam's knee in brotherly affection. He turned to scan the room looking for his boys, he started to struggle to rise when all he saw was an empty room. "Sam, where are the twins?"

"Right her dad." Cameron said as he came back into Dean's field of vision. He set the first aid kit next to Sam and then moved to kneel on the other side of Dean. "You okay?" he asked softly as he looked at the wounds that his _other father_ had inflicted.

Dean smiled and reached up to run a hand along Cameron's jaw, cupping it gently in a show of love. "Yeah, I'll be okay, son." Cameron's golden-green eyes lit up with please at being called son and he leaned a little closer to Dean.

Cole noticed all this and he came to kneel next to his brother, placing his small hand on Dean's arm, "We were so scared, uncle Sam and I got that message and he hauled ass over here, didn't we Sam.?" Cameron threw a _look_ at Cole in disapproval of the language.

"Hauled butt, Cole, don't swear okay buddy?" Sam said as he started cleaning up his brother wounds so that they could get out of this hell hole. Luckily, Dean wouldn't need a hospital this time, Sam could stitch the wounds together and then they could recover in the lair.

Dean smiled at his boys, he was proud that they had kept their wits about them, even though the situation had been extreme, since the man they had helped kill had been their father for the better part of their lives. This was not a fact that Dean had forgotten, but he was grateful that they had come in when they did or else either he or Sam or maybe bother would already be dead.

He rolled his eyes over to the dead body of the witch that had destroyed his boys lives and killed their mother and he was filled with a sense of anger that the man had ever managed to get that close to them. "Sam let's burn that body and get the hell out of here before Crowley comes looking for his pet witch and the blood." Sam agreed, he helped Dean get slowly to his feet, both of them were swaying slightly from the pain and the blood loss, but they would make it.

XXXX

Sam watched as the boys played video games, Dean had bought an xBox 360 and several games and currently the kids were taking one another on an in a game of Mario Kart. Cole was winning, Cameron was calling him a cheater and throwing popcorn at him as they played.

Dean sat at the table, his wounds nearly completely healed…again. His leg was bothering him some and the pain from the original wounds on his feet came and went depending on what he was doing. His leg where he had been stabbed had healed well, there was only a small two inch scar where the blade had sliced into the muscle. The carving's on his chest had scared slightly, and there were still weird symbols on his stomach, in a pale white. But overall he was healthy and Sam was healthy and the boys were safe.

Dean had no doubt that Crowley would try again and that he would have to save Sam from the trials and god only knew what he would do with the twins when that actually happened…_maybe Garth? Na…bad plan, they would run the guy wild_. He thought in answer to the last idea.

But as much as it looked like he had saved the twins, in actuality they had saved him. Dean had never thought that there was a life for him beyond hunting and now he knew that there was. The mistakes of his youth and choices he had made in his past had given him and Sam a future…it had set them free.

THE END

**Author's Note:** _So I think that is as far as I can take this story. I am working on a sequel that will track the Crowley problem and get further into the blood rites that the twins are the keys too__**.**_

**Please review if that is something that you would like to see, the sequel and the other storyline with Crowley. ** Thanks for reading.


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